I didn't fear failure. I expected failure.

Host: The room is quiet, the air thick with the soft hum of the world outside. The late afternoon light filters through the window, casting a warm glow on the worn furniture. Jeeny sits on the couch, her fingers idly flipping through a magazine, but her mind is clearly elsewhere. Jack stands by the window, arms crossed, gazing out at the distant skyline, his expression lost in thought. The quiet of the room feels almost charged, waiting for the conversation to begin.

Jeeny: (her voice soft but filled with curiosity) “You ever think about how we approach failure? I mean, most people treat it like the worst possible outcome, but what if we treated it differently? What if we expected it?”

Jack: (turning slightly, his voice dry, but intrigued) “Expected failure? That’s an interesting way to look at it. Most people try to avoid it, right? They see failure as the end. The one thing they can’t afford.”

Jeeny: (nodding slowly, her eyes thoughtful) “Amy Tan once said, ‘I didn’t fear failure. I expected failure.’ I think there’s something powerful in that. It’s like she understood that failure isn’t something to be afraid of—it’s just a part of the process.”

Jack: (pauses for a moment, his expression softening as he considers her words) “So, you’re saying that instead of fearing failure, we should expect it? Accept it as part of the journey?”

Jeeny: (smiling gently, her voice gaining a little more momentum) “Exactly. It’s about shifting our mindset. If we expect failure, then we don’t let it knock us down when it happens. Instead, we use it as a stepping stone, a chance to learn, to adjust, to grow. Failure doesn’t have to be something that defines us—it’s just an opportunity to keep going.”

Host: Jeeny’s words settle in the room, the idea unfolding between them like a quiet realization. Jack stands still, his gaze still fixed on the city outside, the weight of the thought sinking in. The soft light continues to filter in, filling the room with a peaceful, almost contemplative energy.

Jack: (his voice quieter now, more introspective) “I guess I’ve always seen failure as the thing to avoid at all costs. I’ve feared it, tried to make sure it never happens. But maybe that’s why it’s so hard to take risks, to really go for something. Because I’m always thinking about what could go wrong.”

Jeeny: (nodding, her smile warm, but gentle) “That’s exactly it. When we fear failure, we get stuck. We play it safe, we hold back. But when we expect it, we give ourselves permission to try, knowing that failure is just a part of learning, part of moving forward.”

Jack: (pauses, as though the weight of her words is slowly sinking in, his voice more thoughtful now) “So failure isn’t the opposite of success. It’s part of the process of success. You can’t have one without the other.”

Jeeny: (with a small, knowing smile, her voice full of quiet conviction) “Exactly. Success is built on the foundation of all the times we didn’t get it right. It’s about resilience, the ability to keep going, even when things don’t turn out as planned. Failure isn’t the end—it’s the start of figuring out what works.”

Host: The room feels quieter now, as though the conversation has unlocked something between them. Jack, still standing by the window, seems to have settled into the new understanding of failure that Jeeny has offered. The world outside continues its rhythm, but inside, the conversation has created a small shift—one that allows for failure to be seen not as a negative force, but as part of the journey toward success.

Jack: (his voice softer, almost with a trace of realization) “Maybe it’s time to stop fearing failure. Maybe the key to moving forward is to expect it, to learn from it, and to keep going anyway.”

Jeeny: (smiling warmly, her voice steady and assured) “Exactly. Failure doesn’t define you. How you respond to it, what you learn from it—that’s what shapes your path.”

Host: As the light outside fades, the world quieting into evening, Jeeny and Jack sit in the shared understanding that failure isn’t something to be feared or avoided. It’s simply part of the process—the thing that pushes us forward, teaches us, and gives us the resilience to keep moving. In this moment, both of them see that failure isn’t the end. It’s a new beginning.