Well, hello there. My name is Morgan Harper Nichols. I'm an artist and a writer, and this is a space where I share poetry and prose that I hope can make a little room for you to slow down and take a few deep breaths as you prepare for whatever lies ahead.

And today's piece is called encouragement

for when you're struggling with the fear of failure.

Today's episode is a response to a reader who

asked the question, how do you handle failures? And here is a response. What I have learned about failure is that while it is

inevitable, grace is inevitable too. Sometimes I learn from my failures and sometimes I don't. Sometimes I see how it made me stronger, and other

times I feel neutral about it. Perhaps what matters is that even when I can't see the silver

lining, I do see the horizon that fills the morning sky with sunlight. I hear the chance to start again, in the sound of neighbors

leaving their homes to start the day, in the sound of birds singing across the way. Perhaps what

matters is that even when fear lingers, we notice how grace lingers too,

filling up the room with music that reminds us, even here there is more to you.

When it comes to failure, two things can be true.

Number one, you are afraid to feel whatever

you need to feel, whether it's grief, embarrassment, disappointment, or a mixture of feelings.

There is no shame if that feeling does not go away. And number two, at the same time, there is grace, unmerited

favor that remind you you are loved and seen even when you're not succeeding or winning.

Continue to do your very best while also knowing you are not defined by what you

accomplish. You are also not defined by the times you failed. Even when you're worried, the

others might stigmatize your failure and cause you to feel fear or shame for not winning

like you're supposed to, this remains true. You matter just by being here. And if no one has ever

said those words to you, it's still true. You matter just by being here. If the people you look up to make you feel

like you need to succeed more and fail less, it's still true that there is so much more to you

...