You Are Not Your Flop

Yesterday, I spent nearly half the day texting with a friend, trying to convince him to pick up a damn pen and start living his dream—to become a young adult book author. He’s got the heart, the imagination, the voice. But like so many talented creatives, he’s paralyzed by the fear of flopping. Of being judged. Of being remembered not for the courage to try, but for the possibility of failing.

And I get it. That fear is real. But it’s also misplaced.

The Flop is What You Do, Not Who You Are
Writing a bad book doesn’t make you a bad writer. Singing an unremarkable song doesn’t make you a worthless musician. An A-list actor starring in a B movie isn’t a punchline—it’s just a moment in a long, messy, beautiful career. We’ve all got our off days, our misfires, our “what was I thinking?” projects. That’s not failure. That’s growth; unless your name is Ben Affleck, then, you might not be a good actor!?!

In my own life, I dabble in art. Sometimes I create something impressive. Sometimes it’s better than average. And sometimes, I turn out a piece of crap. But I should be judged as Greg, the person expanding his horizons and exploring different art forms. Not by the piece of art I created on any given Tuesday. It’s what I do, not who I am.

The Cost of Living Under the Hype
This idea hit even harder when I read a piece about Carson Wentz today. The guy started his career as the No. 2 overall pick, a legitimate MVP candidate. Now? He’s the first quarterback in NFL history to start for six different franchises in six consecutive seasons. And with each move, each stumble, each team’s shortcomings, he’s taken the fall. The beatings. The blame.

It’s easy to tear down someone who doesn’t live up to the hype. Just ask the NY Jets Justin Fields. Once hailed as a potential savior, now reduced to a cautionary tale. Fans and media strip these players of their humanity, as if their worth is measured solely by wins, stats, or highlight reels.

We do the same thing to ourselves. We allow one failed pitch, one negative review, or one piece of art that didn't land to define our potential forever.

The Historical Proof: Flops Precede Glory
If we only remember the wins, we miss the lesson of true greats. Look at the people we revere:

·         Abraham Lincoln didn't become one of America's greatest presidents on his first try. He lost eight separate elections for the state legislature, Congress, and the Senate before finally winning the presidency in 1860.

·         Thomas Edison famously didn't fail once, or ten times, to create the first successful lightbulb. He and his team conducted thousands of experiments—some sources say up to 10,000 before finally finding the right material to make it work.

·         The great novelist Stephen King famously threw his first novel, Carrie, into the trash can after receiving a stack of rejection slips. It was his wife who rescued the manuscript, pushing him to finish. That book launched a career that has now sold hundreds of millions of copies.

These are not stories about genius; they are stories about grit; the courage to keep working despite overwhelming evidence that they should stop. They understood that the outcome of a single attempt does not define a life's trajectory.

You Are Your Courage
Here’s the truth: You are not your flop. You are not your worst day. You are not the project that didn’t land, the job that didn’t stick, or the dream that didn’t unfold the way you imagined.

You are the person who dared to try.  So to my friend, and to anyone else standing at the edge of their dream, afraid to leap—pick up the pen. Sing the song. Audition for the role. Paint the canvas. Write the book. Not because success is guaranteed, but because your worth isn’t tied to the outcome.

You are not your flop. You are your courage.