But Did You Try?
Many are going to try. Many are going to fail. But failure is far more commendable than criticizing from the cheap seats.
“What’s your word of the year?”
My buddy texted me this the other day. 2023 was a challenging year for me, so I was cautiously entering the new year. I had loose goals and plans, but I hadn’t quite put roots into the ground as to what my 2024 would look like.
I thought about it for a minute and then responded.
“Persevere.”
In my head, I knew I wanted to try new things this year. Trying new things is about par for the course in my life. As an ice cream maker, author, game show contestant, and wannabe Christmas movie reviewer, I’ll give many things a shot. But where the split between who I’m doing it for would land somewhere around 50/50 (50% being for me, 50% for other people). This year, I want those percentages to change drastically in my favor. I want to step into new territory for me and for my enjoyment. So I can be pleased and create work that I’m proud of. I’m choosing to create out of sheer excitement rather than potential failure.
Before sending him my word, I looked up the definition. I needed to make sure my thought process aligned with Mirriam-Webster’s. Here’s what I found:
Persevere: to persist in a state, enterprise, or undertaking in spite of counterinfluences, opposition, or discouragement.
Yeah. That’s it. Persevere.
As much as I chuckle at the “New Year, New Me” mantra, parts of that phrase resonate with me. I think it’s more the goals, hopes, and possibilities that inspire me. I’d likely be just as inspired if everyone started making goals on September 8th.
So, when I thought about my future and took inventory of my past, I knew I had goals I wanted to achieve but was realistic about how I’ve let discouragement hinder my growth. This year, that changes.
Basketball is my favorite sport. I like the way they dribble up and down the court. Kurtis Blow was spot on with that line, but do you know what else I love about basketball? I enjoy a good block.
If you have no idea what I’m talking about, let me break it down. A block is when the offensive player shoots the basketball, attempting to score points, and the defender puts their hands in the air to block the shot, preventing the offensive team from scoring. It’s an impressive feat, necessary for any team with championship aspirations.
If somebody shoots and scores over your outstretched arm, it’s not the biggest deal in the world. You tried and didn’t quite get there, and while you may hear a slight “Oooh” from the crowd, it’s not embarrassing. On the other hand, if you get dunked on, your life as a basketball player may seem to be over.
In 2013, Detroit Pistons Guard Brandon Knight was on the receiving end of one of the most iconic dunks of the last twenty years. While the 6'2" guard attempted to block 6'11" DeAndre Jordan’s alley-oop dunk, he failed and quickly became a meme. If you have any doubt as to how the dunk was received, a YouTube video from 2013 depicting the dunk is titled “The Death of Brandon Knight.”
French Basketball player Frédéric Weis was on the receiving end of another dunk, this one at the hands of Vince Carter, arguably the greatest dunker of all time. During the 2000 Olympics, Vince Carter, who played for Team USA, stole a pass, took two dribbles, and jumped over the 7'2" Frédéric Weis to complete what is primarily known as the greatest dunk of all time. While attempting to take a charge and prevent Carter from scoring, Weis ended up on the receiving end of what’s been nicknamed “The Dunk of Death.”
Both Knight and Weis are highly accomplished Basketball players with extensive resumes. Both are NBA first-round picks, meaning if you put a ball in 1 million people’s hands, they are better than 999,999 of them. Still, if you google their names, these dunks have followed them daily since they happened.
While Knight took the jokes in stride, Weis’s post-dunk life spiraled. While I believe it would be irresponsible to say the dunk itself caused his future woes, after struggling with his son’s autism diagnosis, alcoholism, a separation from his wife, and career lows in points and minutes per game, Weis did attempt suicide in 2008 before recovering and turning his life around.
These are two of the more extreme examples of trying and failing to stop a dunk attempt. If you’ve played basketball at a high level, you understand that getting dunked on is possible. Unfortunately, the potential jokes have caused some defenders to steer clear of any contact at the rim, choosing instead to pull what’s called a “business decision” and get out of the way to avoid potential failure.
In 2021, then Toronto Raptors forward Yuta Watanabe was dunked on by Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards. The dunk was beautiful, and like clockwork, Watanabe became a meme. But following the dunk, Watanabe responded in a way that showed why he is in the NBA.
“When you’re dunked like that, you get laughed at and become famous in a bad way. But for me, I have no choice but to try to block it. I’d rather get dunked on than give up an easy two points by missing it.”
When defenders make a business decision, they give the offensive player two easy points. To many, even professional basketball players, giving up the points is worth avoiding the jokes. But Watanabe would rather go for the block, knowing there’s a chance he could fail, because sometimes he will be successful, and that success will benefit his team and himself.
Trying may lead to failure, or it may lead to wild success. You just don’t know unless you put yourself out there.
Social media is filled with people just waiting for you to fail. If a movie flops or a YouTube video fails to hit specific numbers, comment sections become nicotine for people looking to hate. Publically putting yourself out there, especially in creative endeavors, is terrifying. Strangers can be cruel, and it’s easier to let your passions live inside your head than take heat from anonymous trolls who find pleasure in your pain.
It takes courage to create. Trying something new takes a level of confidence trolls can’t even fathom. Businesses fail. Podcasts fail. People fail. But people who don’t try will never have the good fortune of catapulting their failures into success like any moderately successful person has ever done.
On the topic of those who try and those who make fun of others for trying, research professor and author Brené Brown had this to say.
“If you are not in the arena getting your ass kicked on occasion, I am not interested in or open to your feedback. There are a million cheap seats in the world today filled with people who will never be brave with their own lives but will spend every ounce of energy they have hurling advice and judgment at those of us trying to dare greatly. Their only contributions are criticism, cynicism, and fear-mongering. If you’re criticizing from a place where you’re not also putting yourself on the line, I’m not interested in your feedback.”
They say there is nothing sadder than wasted potential, but wasting your potential and criticizing people for trying to fulfill theirs seems a bit worse.
I say this for me as much as I say it for you: don’t let the folks outside of your team prevent you from trying. Maybe you fly, or maybe you fail, but don’t let the opinions of keyboard warriors with Uncle Rico mindsets dictate how you find your success.