Have you ever ventured out into something with the best of intentions only to have it crash and burn on you? I would like to believe everyone has experienced this. That has happened to me multiple times. If you haven’t, the time will come. It’s not my intention to scare you. If I have done so inadvertently, I apologize. 

First love. New job. Change in address. New hobby. Spiritual growth. Somehow, we think we have it all together and then one bad decision changed the trajectory of how we want things to go. It’s usually at this time we experience disappointments at the highest proportions. For many, a feeling of dread and failure runs through the mind. It’s as if we have this preconceived notion that since the situation has started off so bad, there is no way on earth it can get better.

Boy, do I have news for you.

Someone who had a shady start may not have a bad future. It does not mean that he/she is not worthy. How many times have we seen 100m runners start their races terribly, but still end up winning their meet? They adjusted and ran their race well. 

I am reminded of Israel in the Bible. Their history started with a man named Jacob, whose name literally means “deceiver”. He lived that out. He conned his father in law to obtain most of the livestock that they had. He stole his brother’s birthright. Yet, God called him anyway. It is as if the Lord saw his flaws that were glaring before Him and still chose not to shun him. 

One of my favourite actors is Robert Downey Jr. As a Marvel Cinematic Universe fanatic, it’s a given. We fall in love with RDJ’s charm and wit on screen and off-screen. What many might not know is that this man was addicted to drugs in his younger years. He had to be checked into rehab. He sobered up and has given us possibly some of the best lines and entertainment value in history. He healed and moved past it. How he started out is a stark difference from where he is now. Pun intended.

When I wanted to start this blog, I was weighing my options. I thought about the feasibility of this venture. I called one of my closest friends for advice. “Should I do it”? I asked him. He told me the story of WD-40. The chemists who worked on this water displacement formula did not get it right initially. They tried 39 times and failed. However, they kept on working on the formula because they had a goal in mind. With a few tweaks, they finally came up with a product that has been used throughout history on the fortieth try. That resonated with me and until this day, it is at the back of my head when I want to start something new. Right now, I am much less fearful about having my work for all the world to see. 

The muck and mess of life can seek to disqualify you from doing what we are called to do, but only if we let it. We cannot afford to give them power over us. We are more than our past mistakes. In fact, we are wiser and better from having learnt and living in those moments. No matter how far off or way behind we think we are, redemption is never far beyond our reach.

It’s the same with you, and again the same with me (especially the creative side of myself). The way we start out may look messy and uncertain. I dare say people may be unkind to us about our past. Our present may not look ideal either. It may look unpleasant and unacceptable. However, life is a journey. There will be slips and slumps. We just need to ensure that we don’t stay down for too long. Cry, re-adjust, recalibrate and go again. Pull on your community to remind you of the truth if you need to. Just don’t quit. It’s never too late for you to try again. Maybe, just maybe, something worthwhile awaits you on the other side of your messed-up beginning.

“Trophies don’t go to those who have a good beginning”

– Trip Lee (from the song “Sweet Victory”)

^{Photo by Anna Might (IG:@annamighttakepics)}