JJ: Giving Yourself Permission to Fail

I've fallen and I can't get up.
Originally uploaded by jjactive.

I've now officially lost track of how many times John "The Penguin" Bingham has given us all permission to not fully commit ourselves to our life endeavors.

"Now I'm content with running in the context of a life lived fully, if not well. I'm content in the way the adult pianist is content with clawing his way through Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. I know that even if I'm not doing it well, it's better than not doing it at all."

That tripe comes from what appears to be Bingham's current Runners World column, but it could have been pulled from any one of them over the past several years. I'm all in favor of enjoying our life activities, whatever they may be, but I also happen to think it's OK to push ourselves once in a while. Doesn't saying, "I tried my best" get old when our best always falls within our comfort zones? Can't enjoyment and contentment also come from focus, effort, commitment, and a life well-lived? Most importantly, isn't it about time for this one-trick penguin to "waddle on" into the sunset?

Penguin, you have been "deactivated."