A few years ago I attended a conference in Monte Carlo, and on the final morning of my stay decided to enjoy my last breakfast croissant and coffee on the terrace overlooking the beach with views to the sea beyond. As I gazed out to sea I noticed below me a very well dressed beach attendant arrive for work, he acknowledged me with a smile and mock salute and went about his daily work of dressing the beach area for that days expected tourists and sun worshipers. He sang as he worked (Very much like Gondolier) and began to rake the sand this way and that in a very meticulous manner , moving rocks to a designated place and design and raking the sand in what only can be described as Zen like motions.
I watched mesmerized as he coiffured the beach until he had achieved his standard of magnificent perfection, he again gave me a mock salute and left for another part of the beach. The results of his labors were now evident, had you been the first tourist on the beach you would have felt awkward and embarrassed at being the first human to break the symmetry and elegance of the beach attendants work.
As the attendant left the scene I heard a voice behind me say “I wish I could do that”. The voice came from a very smart business man and whom, by his attire certainly needed more than a beach attendants salary to support the cut of suit never mind the life style that went with it.
“How so” I asked. “Well” he replied “Just think of it, he seems to not have care in the world, gets to work in the sunshine most days on one of the most famous beaches in the word, surrounded by the most beautiful people”
“Would you trade places with him just for that ” I asked. “No, not just for that, it’s the idea that intrigues me”.
“Every day he has the opportunity to create something spectacular knowing that even if he fails he will get another opportunity to do it all again after the tide has washed clean and flattened his artistry”. I commented that as the opposite of this thinking was that even if he achieved perfection it could not last and that must be equally frustrating, but could not help but conjecture on what might be achieved if there was no record of failure. Success could be measured by the delight of the people using the beach every day and his undoubted notoriety (Other beaches did not look like this) but a less than stellar performance would always be yesterday’s news.
The question is – What would you do, or what could you achieve if there was no record of failure? Would it breed average performance or help you reach for the stars ?
Tony
