It’s not the mountains that trip leaders up: it’s the pebbles on the path

By Gloria Feldt | January 26, 2020 |

Issue 119 — January 26, 2020
Last week I wrote about tripping over a pebble while hiking and breaking my wrist. Since then, I’ve been thinking about how it’s never the mountains that trip you up. It’s the pebbles on the path.

Things you can’t see coming even though they are right in front of you. Impediments that don’t catch your eye because they’re so small that you are unaware of them, or you’re vaguely aware and pay no attention.

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JK Rowling Talks About the Benefits of Failure

By Gloria Feldt | May 16, 2010 |

If we haven’t failed at something by the time you reach midlife, we probably aren’t trying to break boundaries or reach our deepest dreams. This video of JK Rowling’s commencement speech to Harvard graduates delivers a profound message–that “rock bottom is a solid foundation” from which realize that when you have nothing left to lose, you are completely free to start anew on the path to your life’s ambitions.

She said it better than I did, as you would expect from the author of the Harry Potter books, so take a watch.

J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement from Harvard Magazine on Vimeo.

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