Failure Club Starts In Mumbai

Jan 17, 2017 | permalink

Tonight, I was in Mumbai, so I figured I might host a circle in the evening. I experimented with a “Failure Club” circle, and sent out a quick email and 65 people RSVP’d! Anand-bhai and his family eagerly (and so graciously!) hosted the meditation, the space and the dinner.

A Failure Club, then, is a circle that celebrates failure, aspires for compassionate "moonshots" that seems outrageous or impossible (imagine Seva Cafe when it started), and builds a community of like-hearted people.

Lots of people who engage in "labor of love" projects are forced to give up on their vision simply because of a few missing pieces. We, as a circle, hope to provide a backbone of unconditional support that affords a project more time for its virtuous cycle of generosity to kick into gear. The offerings could include values-driven processes, frameworks that ask different kind of questions and hold space for multiple forms of capital, a diverse group of experienced mentors, and a kindred community of peers pushing similar boundaries.

It was amazing to see how people resonated. One attendee said, “I am afraid of talking to strangers, but I know we need to dissolve boundaries in our world -- so l’d love to fail.” Immediately, two others joined her to make it happen. Some folks spoke of taking on big societal problems, others introspected in the direction of dissolving personal barriers; but collectively, it all quietly created a space of confidence. A confidence not borne of resources, but of interconnections.