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Aim High. Fail Big.

Most motivational quotes focus on success.

“If you can dream it, you can do it.”

“Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you.”

They’re positive and uplifting. They’re meant to inspire us to believe that anything is possible.

But what happens when things don’t work out?

Most people fail a few times along the way. When you’re standing in the rubble of a dream that didn’t quite pan out, those pie-in-the-sky promises can feel a little hollow. Where are the inspirational quotes when you’re dusting yourself off and figuring out what comes next?

As someone who has started numerous endeavors and failed spectacularly more than once, I’ve learned that failure isn’t the end of the story.

Every failure teaches you something. Each time you get back up and try again, you bring a little more experience, knowledge, and skill with you.

Over the years I’ve reinvented myself more times than I can count: musician, insurance adjuster, headhunter, dance instructor, photographer, real estate professional, Mary Kay consultant (and I don’t even wear makeup!), and most recently, the owner of a dropshipping store called Welcoming Haven.

Some ventures succeeded. Some didn’t.

But I kept getting back up, brushing myself off, and trying again.

One of these days I’ll find the perfect mix. Until then, I’ll keep aiming high.

A while back, while reading the Stephanie Plum series, I ran across a phrase that stopped me in my tracks. The quote came from Lula, one of the series’ unforgettable larger-than-life characters:

Aim High. Fail Big.

I loved it immediately because it felt honest.

If you’re going to try something, really go for it. Don’t tiptoe around the edges. Don’t play it so safe that success becomes impossible.

Aim high.

And if you fail?

Fail spectacularly.

Go down in a blaze of glory, learn what you can, and start over.

That’s life.

That’s certainly been my life.

So I created this design because it perfectly captures a philosophy I’ve come to believe in. If you’re willing to dream big, take chances, and keep getting back up when things don’t go according to plan, you might find the message speaks to you too.

The Aim High. Fail Big. design is now available on T-shirts, mugs, totes, and more in my newest venture, Dusty Roads Mercantile.

Come browse with me. You never know what you’ll discover down a dusty road.