 Hi, welcome to Seymour's World commentary. Have you heard the expression, failure is not an option? Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail. Everyone tells you to chase your dreams and follow your passion. At some point, you're brave and full of hope and decide to do it. You quit your job or become an artist, apply for that dream job and change your lifestyle. It's wonderful and empowering and exciting, and all those things make living worthwhile. But what happens when you fail? When quitting your job left you broke, or no one wants to publish your work, or your dream job turns you down? You are left feeling utterly defeated and a little bitter toward all those people who told you to go for it. It didn't work. What then? I'm no stranger to failure and probably neither are you. It can be incredibly frustrating and left me feeling hopeless, sometimes questioning if it's worth following these dreams when I'm feeling so defeated. Then something happened. I realize that I'm alive, I'm healthy, I'm free, I have people who love me and I have the capacity to be grateful for this life and the ability to even contemplate following my dreams, let alone throw everything I've got into the fray. I realize that even if my dreams never come true, I will be okay. That was so liberating, I will keep trying. I actually had a second wind after this realization because now I know that my life is full and worthwhile and beautiful. If you allow yourself to love everything as simple and small as it may be, even if not all of your dreams are unfolding around you, there may come a day when your dreams do come true and that will be icing on an already magnificent cake. The defeated feelings from failure come from letting all your hopes and happiness ride on the dreams coming true. If you allow yourself to appreciate the freedom and aliveness and just having the opportunity to try, the failing will be so much less painful. You should keep chasing your dreams and following your passion. At the same time, you shouldn't let yourself feel so bad if you're failing. Check with yourself and see, would it really be so awful if you just kept trying and things never quite worked out the way it does in your dreams? Really think about it. How wonderful and fun and exciting is it that you can go off and chase those dreams? And how much more concrete and valuable is love in your life, joy in the simple things and appreciating what you have? Let living fully be your passion. Failing your dreams is a byproduct of that. Finding a way to make them come true is not the end all, not the be all. Be fully immersed in your life with relationships with others and yourself, tasting good food, comfort and peace, enjoying a quiet morning with the sun on your face, lots and lots of laughter. There isn't so bad when you realize that taking the steps to make your dreams come true is a dream coming true in itself.