The Axiom Of Realistic Expectations
Individuals Demonstrate Valid Behavior
By Having Realistic Expectations
For Themselves, Their Lives, And Others

I have a guilty pleasure that I am embarrassed to admit. I love looking at the various pictures and videos on FAIL Blog when I am taking a break at work. (You can visit the site here as long as you do not mind being exposed to crass "late night TV-like" humor.)

For the uninitiated, FAIL Blog documents the failures of mankind: a video of a man running into a glass window, an advertisement for "pumpkin and road kill" flavored ice cream, a hot air balloon knocking over a port-o-potty, a news article about a school that was placed on lockdown after a large burrito was mistaken for a weapon.

With content like this, some might say that FAIL Blog is a complete waste of time, but I think they are missing the point. The very best "fails" are those in which the people involved were trying their very hardest to succeed. FAIL Blog serves as a reminder to us all that sometimes our best efforts are simply not enough.

My life had been absolutely crazy lately. I have done more in the last year than most would have done in four or five. I have accomplished things that few people have done, and in everything, I have done my best. But there are other aspects of my life during this last year or so that I have failed miserably. I tried hard not to fail, but unfortunately, with all I was experiencing, I could not succeed. The sad fact of the matter is that I am just now realizing that some of these failures have occurred.

While it is unfortunate that I have failed in certain aspects of my life, I must remember to have realistic expectations for myself and follow Realistic Expectation Seven: "Only look backward if it helps you move forward." With all that was going on, I did the best I could do. The more I think about my situation, the more I am sure that I handled it the best I could with what I knew. There was no way I could have done better at that time.

I have learned from my failures, and I will apply what I have learned in the future. For now, I have to stop kicking myself for what was far too big for me to handle.

Rodger McMillan
Magna Sententia Weblog Contributor
Host of The Magna Sententia Podcast