I may have had an AHA moment this morning. They don’t happen often enough for my liking, and certainly not in the morning, but there it was nonetheless. I got up early (again, not something that happens often) to get ready for a trip. The night before I’d picked out an egg shell colored top to wear for the journey, and after donning it this morning and sitting down to put on my make-up, I thought, ‘I must be careful not to get anything on this.’ Five minutes later I was cussing with my Tide pen in hand trying to rid the thing of a big blotch of foundation.

Now, I’ve been putting make-up on every day for more years than I truly care to mention, and I rarely get any of it on my clothes, so this occurrence left me pondering the fact that we could be setting ourselves up for failure simply by acknowledging the possibility of it happening. Hmm. This then sent me down a reminiscent trail of personal disasters looking for trends. Yep, a few emerged for sure.

‘I must be careful not to spend too much,’ has led to an empty bank account. ‘I must be careful not to leave myself vulnerable,’ has led to failed relationships. ‘I must be careful not to sound like an idiot,’ has left me feeling sorrowful for not fully expressing myself while there was still time.

Maybe the key is to live with the full expectation that you’re going to end up splattered in foundation (figuratively speaking of course). Maybe reckless abandon is the only way to really succeed. Maybe – just maybe – caution is a complete waste of time.

I’ll no doubt continue to ponder this at 34,000 feet, but if it’s true then the reverse must be also. Maybe we set ourselves up for success with that glimmer of possibility as well? Either way, I’ve decided to experiment a bit and will keep you posted. I’ve left the Tide pen at home.