I have to be honest in saying that the disappoinment that comes with setbacks can be discouraging and down right defeating, especially when there are compounding circumstances. I mean, when you're trying to make progress, and one thing after another keeps going wrong, it almost makes you want to give up; however, when I reflect on my most recent series of setbacks and my frustration to the point of almost giving up, I acknowledge that the keyword is "almost".
Almost giving up means that I chose to persevere. Definitely not easy. Since I am naturally an introvert, I shy away from talking about my failures and disappointments publicly, which only leaves me feeling isolated and depressed about what went wrong. A perfect example is what I've been going through with The Underground PodCAST Recording of A FERRY TALE. I ran into a series of unforeseen events that just kept pushing back post-production, causing a pile up of missed deadlines. I threw up my hands to quit like a hundred times, but here's the thing about a supportive community... They DON'T LET you quit. I couldn't give up even when I tried. My team was there for me, bringing me encouragement and helping me brainstorm solutions.Truth be told, my team was instrumental (pun intended) in helping me learn new audio production skills that will support my pivot to podcast.
The setback was an eye-opener.
When reflecting on my disappointment, 3 things were illuminated for me:
The delays gave me extra time to revisit my bookkeeping and stuff, preventing a major misstep.
I am forever a student, meaning I'm still inspired to learn new things, which has been helping me to pivot with more ease, rather than feeling stuck.
My God can use a setback as a set up. I was being set up to dream even bigger than I had previously. The extra time created by the setback made space for me to pivot AGAIN, expanding my ability to connect with more people and grow in community.
The setback was a setup for success.
So, I decided to share the intro for my upcoming podcast Jently Publishing Hope where I will debut soundbites from The Underground PodCAST Recording of A FERRY TALE... Annnd where I will make space for my guests to share their stories of perseverance and triumph.
The set up can be extended to others.
It's a lot of work in the early mornings and late nights because I am fortunate enough to still have a whole day job, but I persevere because I believe in gently publishing hope.
Sample the ear candy in this video below: