In 23 days we will select our new president, the person who will lead our country, for better or worse, for the next four years.  Theirs is an awesome responsibility as is ours as voters.  And while their politics may vary widely, both presidential candidates, along with their vice presidential counterparts, share one commonality: the courage to fail.
 
Political candidates know right from the get-go that their names, their opinions, even their personal lives are going to be scrutinized under a microscope.  Nothing they've ever done will be a secret any longer.  Add to that the fact that there can be only one winner in this contest (the loser going home after spending millions of dollars and countless hours), and you have a scenario that would make most of us run screaming for the exits of the nominating venue.
 
Having the courage to fail is the guidepost for those who run for public office. And it should be our guidepost as well.  You see, contrary to popular opinion, failing is not fatal - in fact it's just the opposite.  If you're not failing, you're not trying, you're not stretching, you're not risking.  If you're not doing any of those, you're not living and the only thing you can be if you're not living is dead. 
 
I'm all too familiar with that self talk that rattles around in our minds when we have to stick our necks out: "I won't be able to do this; I'm going to look dumb."  "What happens to me when I can't do this?  Will I be fired or lose friends?"  "Everyone expects me to do well; I'll let them all down."  That's fear of failure. 
 
But failure is really a positive thing.  It's proof that you've risked something, regardless of the possible outcome.  What if we rearranged our self talk like this:
 
"If I'm not able to do this, I may look dumb.  But I'll learn from the experience that this isn't the way to accomplish my goal, and others will see and hopefully learn from this as well ."
 
"If my not being able to do this means I'll be fired or lose friends, my job must not have been a good fit for me, my superiors must not have valued me very much, and my friends must not have been as close as I thought." 
 
And finally, "While everyone is hoping I'll do well, being perfect and right all the time is stressful.  It's okay to fail - I believe that and my efforts will convey that same valuable message to my friends."
 
What the politicians know is a lesson for us all: failure in anything isn't fatal - it's risking, it's stretching, it's living, and it's gaining experience for the next page in your life.  Join our presidential candidates in having the courage to fail and in raising your voice by voting!