There is no such thing as failure - you just haven’t spent enough time yet in the process.

Let me explain.

In my creation programmes -- which is where I work with students to build their unique signature services and offerings -- I often assign students homework tasks to do in between classes. For example, a list of homework tasks for a student might look like the following:

1. Build in 1 hour of relaxation time per day into your schedule (looks easy however you’d be surprised how many busy-bees really struggle with this!)
   
2. Spend a total of 3 hours spread across however many days you like writing down any messages, visions, or inspirations that come to you in a journal. Draw in colour if needed.
3. Spend 15 minutes a day doing the dishes (if this is the student’s unique way of being fully and meditatively in the moment)
   

My students are of course all highly motivated to achieve results, and will assiduously do their homework.

And here’s the thing: While most students will not have any problems carrying out their homework-tasks, many will feel exasperated in particular at Task No. 2 at what they perceive to be their own lack of “results” (quote-unquote). I will hear comments like…

“I don’t understand the visions I’m getting!”

“I got this message! Is that what I’m supposed to be following-up on?”

“Why does it take me such a long time just to receive one message?”

“I’m not getting anything, I’m stupid!”

At which point, I have to gently remind the student that the homework was…

To spend time writing down/drawing any messages or visions that come to you. (i.e. to be engaged in a process.)

And NOT…

To able to see stuff in hi-def, write down reams of messages, understand every single thing you’re receiving, and do this all instantly, etc. (i.e. to achieve a certain result that you think you were expected to achieve, then judge yourself when you fail to achieve this totally made-up outcome.)

See the difference?



In Creation, The Process Looks Nothing Like The Outcome

The great master OSHO once said that if you want to grow roses, you mustn’t think of roses. You must think sunlight, water, soil, manure (shit). I am paraphrasing here, however you get the point.

If you want instant roses, you can go buy some plastic roses. You get something fake.

Therefore, to achieve a result, you must think process. You must think of all the inputs that need to go into the process. And, like shit, they will NOT look like the result you are trying to get (roses).

If you are trying to create a class, you will likely need to spend time doodling on your notebook writing down ideas and interesting inspirations that pop into your mind, never mind that these might only appear as single phrases now and you have no idea how you are going to organize everything at the end.

If you are trying to build a team, you will literally spending lots of time first resolving shit amongst team members. Mediating arguments, getting involved in arguments yourself, etc. Most community building experts think you can’t get a group of people to be in-community without them having gone through some pretty serious conflict first.

So when I tell a student to spend X hours writing down ideas and inspirations, I literally mean for them to do just that. What they actually produce as a result is immaterial at this stage of the process. Just by them spending time in the process, injecting inputs which look nothing like the outcome they are gunning for, I am able to do my part putting in the energy work required to help them blossom what they want.

Which leads us to the next point...

The Mistake of Judging Yourself Too Soon

Most people make the mistake of judging themselves too soon, i.e. while they are still in the process, and before the proverbial roses appear. They beat themselves up for being slow, stupid, not getting it, (fill in the blank) __________. They get impatient and demoralized when results don't materialize in time that they want, or in the way that they expected. Some get utterly stunned if unexpected twists and turns appear. A not insignificant number might give up, go into depression, lose faith in themselves entirely, or enter into any number of un-self-loving behaviors.

Hands-up if you relate to this!

I invite you to undertake a small exercise:

Write down 3 reactions that automatically kick in for you when things are not happening the way you want. Then, reflect on whether these reactions are truly needed if you switch round to the view that you are still in the process of "growing" what you want and it may simply be too early to judge right now.

If you're in a Creation Programme with me, part of the programme will involve you observing (and me pointing out to you) how and where you tend to go astray in your creative process, diverting energy into running unproductive patterns at the expense of the immense joy and ease you could be having in your creation process!

Timing Of A Process And Non-Linear Progression

Have you ever tried growing something and nothing happens for a long time, but all of a sudden, one day, something sprouts?

It happens in real life too. I have held Creation Programmes where nothing much seems to be happening in Sessions 1-3, the student is exasperated, thinking that they have failed. But by Session 4, the student has suddenly created a magnificent new healing technique, designed a class around it, and taught it to 5 people via high transmission downloads.

For people working on secular-muggle projects, I'm sure you would have come across situations where you are putting in huge amounts of effort and time to manifest something but nothing moves. One obstacle after another appears before you. Then one day, the stars suddenly align and things move ahead effortlessly. Perhaps a much-needed resource person becomes available and this person proves critical to the success of the project. Or perhaps the market takes a sudden turn, making a product that you were developing become viable. A sudden non-linear progress has happened.

Not only does the process not like the outcome, the outcome can arrive suddenly and unexpectedly as well.

Again, the caveat is: you must spend enough time in the process, and allow the process to run its natural course!

The next point is that the timing is different for each person. A rose takes 8 weeks to grow. An oak tree takes 30 years. A rose is not "more than" or "less than" an oak tree -- they are simply different things that require different lengths of timing. You might be cultivating a rose, or you might be growing an oak tree. Sometimes, you simply don't know until you get started. And this is why you should never rush to judge yourself for 'failing'. It might still be too soon to tell.

Thus, whenever you can, work with people who will honor your timing and not rush you unnecessarily. Work with people who will not judge you for failing to achieve an artificial timetable.

And if you are working in the secular-muggle world, choose an organization that has a sufficiently exploratory culture, where the leadership takes a long-view of things and doesn't mind day-to-day mishaps that might happen as part of the learning and insight-gathering process that inevitably takes place before a new product or innovation happens.

Cheers to your creation process! Remember that it is non-linear, it occurs in its own time, and remember to relax and enjoy the ride, even if looks like nothing is happening - yet.