3532: The Grace of Failure (Or, How to Avoid a Midlife Crisis) by Dr. Kelly Flanagan on Personal Development

Optimal Living Daily - Personal Development and Self-Improvement

Optimal Living Daily LLC

Education, Mental Health, Self-improvement, Health & Fitness

4.6 • 3.2K Ratings

🗓️ 18 March 2025

⏱️ 9 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3532: A life well-lived isn’t about achieving every childhood dream, it’s about evolving into who we’re meant to be. Dr. Kelly Flanagan reflects on how his plans have changed over the decades, revealing that failure is often grace in disguise. By embracing who we truly are rather than who we thought we should be, we create a life that’s both authentic and fulfilling. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://drkellyflanagan.com/the-grace-of-failure-or-how-to-avoid-a-midlife-crisis/ Quotes to ponder: "It’s easy to plan a Hollywood life, but it takes some growing up and a lot of self-acceptance to gladly choose a life that is a little more ordinary." "Growing up isn’t about getting what we want; it’s about giving in to the best parts of who we are." "A true self is a constantly emerging self. A good life is an always evolving life." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is Optimal Living Daily, The Grace of Failure, or How to Avoid a Midlife Crisis, by Dr. Kelly
0:07.3	Flanagan of Dr. Kellyflanagan.com, and I'm Justin Mollick. Welcome back to Optimal Living Daily or the
0:13.3	OLD podcast, where I read to you from some of the best blogs I can find and get permission from,
0:18.9	mostly covering personal development and minimalism on this show.
0:22.1	But we cover other topics in the Optimal Living Daily podcast network.
0:26.1	That includes a bunch of other shows. Definitely follow or subscribe to those if you like this one.
0:31.2	Just search for Optimal Living Daily and all of them should pop right up.
0:35.2	But for now, let's get right to it, and start optimizing your life.
0:42.3	The Grace of Failure, or How to Avoid a Midlife Crisis, by Dr. Kelly Flanagan of Dr. Kelly Flanagan.com.
0:51.2	40 years ago today, on December 14, 1976, I was born. Since then, nothing has worked out as planned.
0:59.9	And that is a saving grace. You see, if I had become what I planned to be on my fifth birthday,
1:06.7	I'd be a firefighter right now. As a boy, I was enthralled by the heroism of it. But now,
1:12.2	I have a bad back, and I hate thrill-seeking, and I go out of my way to avoid third-degree burns.
1:19.7	Courage comes in many forms. Sometimes we plan for one kind of courage, but we end up having to find
1:25.6	forms of bravery more consistent with who we are.
1:29.4	By my 10th birthday, the Chicago Bears were reigning Super Bowl champions, and I planned to be a
1:34.9	running back at Soldier Field, like Walter Payton. But I'm slow, relatively small, not very strong,
1:41.8	and I don't like people bumping into me. For me, bruises rank right up there
1:46.8	with third-degree burns. Sometimes it's important to accept that our idealistic plans will be
1:53.4	altered by our very realistic limitations. If I'd become what I planned to be when I was 15,
2:03.0	I'd be a trial lawyer right now, just like Tom Cruise and a few good men hammering away at Jack Nicholson. The problem is, I don't like
2:08.7	conflict or courtrooms. I'm not sure what I think about Tom Cruise anymore. It's easy to plan a
	...

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