The Only Bad Idea Is not Trying at All

How often in our lives do we sell ourselves short?

If I got a dollar every time I said, “Naaah, it’s a bad idea,” then I could probably finance my own little island getaway. But seriously, how many brilliant ideas have gone out the window because of our doubt?

And the self-doubt always casts a shadow over our talents; sometimes it blinds us even to our own potential. That’s like standing before the mirror and seeing only the smudges instead of the reflection in it.

Why do we do this? Why do we always shrink away from our dreams as if they are just clouds out of reach?

Every time I picked up a pen and held a diary to jot down a new idea or topic, all I could hear was a sentence my friend often says (he still says it): “There’s no use; every idea has already been coined, and every word has been written. There’s nothing new you could write. There’s no solution to any problem you could offer to your readers.”

And with that, I dropped the pen, tossing my ideas out the window. I thought to myself,  I’m nothing; I’m not established.  Who would listen to me or read me?

This cycle continued for years. Yet, I still wrote every now and then, driven by a flicker of hope.

And here I am today, being listened to, being read, being recognized, and being appreciated. (Thank you to all my readers and admirers for this.) All those years spent listening to others and doubting myself got me nowhere.

Finally, I realized that the only bad idea is not trying at all.

Most often in life, we are our toughest critics. We often doubt ourselves and feel small by comparing ourselves to others instead of focusing on our own path and progress. 

Just as flowers bloom in due time, so too must we learn to trust growth.

As the seed lies deep in the soil, buried in darkness, feeling isolated, and believing it will never see the sun, it may seem hopeless. Yet with the right time, care, patience, and nourishment, it pushes through the earth, transforming into something magnificent and resilient. 

That same potential exists within each one of us, waiting, often quietly, for the right moment to grow, to break free from the darkness and reach toward the light that’s always been there.

J.K. Rowling received endless rejections until Harry Potter found a home and became a worldwide hit, both in books and movies. As she said herself, “It is impossible to live without failing at something unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, which means you fail by default.”

Can you imagine if she had listened to that nagging voice? The world would be so much duller without the magic she gave it.

She reminds us that failure is just a stepping stone to success.

The next time that voice should succeed in creeping in, whispering doubts and what-ifs, remember it’s all in our heads. Welcome the uncertainty, and dare the inner critic.

I’ve learned that life’s too short to sell ourselves short.

Each try, each leap of faith, gets us one step closer to knowing who we really are. So, we should let go of our doubts and follow our dreams. In the big picture, the only bad idea is letting fear of rejection stop us. 

After all, if we do not try, then well, we’ll just never know how bright our light could shine.