My friend went through an unsuccessful start-up. After that, he was afraid to meet friends again and share his new plans. He confessed: "I was afraid of being asked, laughing, afraid of having to justify myself if I failed again". Hearing that, I recalled that I had moments of hesitation, wondering: "Is there ever a time when I am really not good enough, not good enough as I once thought?". If those thoughts continue to persist, they will gradually turn into self-deprecation. We did not dare to try again, because we believed that we could not do it in nature.
The irony, as I told you, is that this world is already busy and quickly forgotten. Few people remember how many times we have fallen and failed. They only care when we can do something new and valuable. We imprison ourselves in the memory of the fall, while others have long forgotten it. I told you a line from Paul Graham: What makes people different is not intelligence or origin, but the level of readiness to do things over. Doing it again means accepting to let others see that you are still studying, are clumsy, and not really complete.
My friend sat silently. Then he asked: "What if they laugh?" I replied: "It's okay. They do not live for us. They do not carry us a life full of regrets just because we do not dare to try again. And those who are truly striving to rise will not have time to worry about the failures of others.
At times, we sit and discuss with each other: If I have failed once, the question should not be "What if I failed again?", but should be "do I want to stand still like now?". Standing still also has to pay the price: It is a nightmare called "khoa mong luoc".
My friend then tried a business for the second or third time. No noise, no big statements. He started quietly, with perseverance and the belief that as long as he did not turn his back on himself, each step was worth it.
As for me, when I saw you standing up, I reminded myself: courage is sometimes not a big act, but is the act of silently doing things that you have ruined. No need for the audience, just need to keep faith in ourselves.
In life, anyone can fall. The important thing is not whether the fall is deep or shallow, but whether we are ready to stand up. And sometimes, just having a companion - reminding us that failure is not the end - is enough for us to move forward.
