This I Believe

At Mercer, I read a book called This I Believe for my "freshman experience" class. It touched me so deeply, and I'm pretty sure that I blogged about it when was reading it back then.
Recently, I suggested to Ryan that he should read it. He loves books and deep, meaningful philosophies, so I knew it would be perfect for him. It reminded me how much I loved the short stories, so I checked on Amazon for anything that might be similar, and I found This I Believe II. I ordered it, and I have fallen in love once again.
I asked Ryan what it was that he believed. Like if he had to write 500 words on what it was that he believed, what would it be? He didn't answer me, but after the past 2 1/2 weeks, I found a new belief. So in 500 words, I will try to explain myself...

I believe in the power of trying. Trying doesn’t necessarily mean success or failure, and that is what makes it so powerful.

I have had a lot of success in my life. I have had so many wonderful moments that I know are miracles and blessings. But those moments are not always the ones that I thank my Lord for before I close my eyes at night. I thank the Lord for the opportunities that didn’t work out. The things that I tried to do, but I fell short. Because those are the moments in which I had to reevaluate. Reinvent. Grow as a person and become more.

I love people. Maybe that’s why I have such a strong desire for a romantic relationship. I’ve always deemed it a flaw. Something that I needed to beat down and suppress. My small catalogue of suitors speaks for itself. I’m a try-er. I have a hard time giving up especially when it comes to matters of the heart.

So how do these two things come together? Trying is not trying if you just go halfway. If you don’t put yourself on the line, then you’re not trying at all. You’re faking. You’re denying yourself the chance of success in anything that you do. Trying relationally means laying it all there. Big risk means big reward. Trying does not guarantee success, and, more often than not, you’ll probably fail. But it’s a win-win. If you succeed, you find happiness. If you fail, you learn, and then you find happiness.

I believe in trying because I believe in hope. Hopefulness. I read somewhere that the average person dates between 7 to 10 people before finding “the one.” That’s a lot of failure. That’s a lot of meeting the parents and learning favorite colors and broken hearts. But it’s also a lot of first kisses. Sunsets. Late night talks. Dates. And then after it’s all said and done, you might find your person. And even then… it’s just “might.”

What is the alternative? Other than live with hope?

So I choose to try. To keep putting myself out there over and over until it all clicks for me. I choose hope. I choose to believe in fairy tales and to keep my head up. Even if one day, I find myself alone, at least I know I tried.