Dear Friends,
We need a few small failures, small intelligent failures. You and I both know that success or
failure comes from trying something new, something entirely different and even climbing out on
a limb we’ve never been on before. It involves taking a risk. Taking risks involve risking failure. What’s
the benefit? Well, how about these for example:
• 10,000 failures led to the discovery of the electric light bulb.
• Blind dates lead to success: finding the right one.
• Dr. Spencer Silver failed to develop a bigger, stronger, tougher adhesive for 3M Company.
He instead discovered microspheres that retained their stickiness and yet a removable
characteristic that became the Post-It Note.
 Navel engineer Richard James was working on developing sensitive springs to keep fragile
equipment steady on ships. When he knocked one of his new springs from a shelf, it did not just
hit the floor, instead it did that famous Slinky walk down. Slinky was born for Christmas, 1945.
 The Washburn Crosby Company was busy in 1922 preparing a gruel mixture when a clumsy
dietician spilled some on a hot stove, which led to the gruel drops sizzling and crackling into
flakes. When tasted, this accident led to the breakfast cereal named as the Breakfast of
Champions: Wheaties!
The examples could go on and on (plastic bottles and jugs, saccharine as a sugar substitute,
penicillin or the pacemaker). Failures of one kind have led to the invention of another. So I say, we
need a few small intelligent failures.
From the excellent book, Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well, Amy Edmondson points
out that “we tend to avoid failure at all costs…Our smarter missteps are worthwhile because they
can force us to take a different path that points us toward personal and professional success.” And
elsewhere she says, “An intelligent failure is an undesired result in new territory.” These are the days
for trying and failing. Learning from that failure and trying again. We have the words of Thomas
Edison to guide us, “I have not failed. I have found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
Here are some ways we could take intelligent risks:
1. Host a catered dinner for our neighbors as Plymouth’s “get-to-know-you” dinners.
2. Host outdoor movie and popcorn for __ (number) of nights of summer 2025.
3. Set a goal for 2025 budget and fully support it.
Let’s risk a few small, intelligent failures together!
Pastor Peter
Pastor Peter J. Blank