Collapsed Muffins

Most of my friends will attest to the fact that I’m not good at baking. I do have a few muffin recipes that come out ok. Recently, I tried to combine two of my favorite muffin recipes, thinking that it would be my ‘new and improved’ masterpiece. Well, they came out of the oven with their tops collapsed. I had to throw them all out.

I’m not sure what went wrong. Maybe my baking soda ratio was off? Maybe I filled the cups too much. Maybe the ingredients in the two recipes don’t work together. I was disappointed that I had wasted my time and all those ingredients. I went back to my old way of doing things. I resolved to never try that again.

I had the best intentions--take two good recipes and make an even healthier one. But as the poet Robert Burns said: “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” Good intentions and detailed planning are no guarantee that you will reach the desired goal.

Whenever you try new things, there is always a risk of failure. Every dream has the potential to turn into a nightmare. Every time you reach beyond your grasp, there is a chance that you could fall on your face. Yes, I know I’m a pessimist.

I admire people who react to setbacks with a casual shrug. When they fall, they pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and try again. How can I cultivate this attitude in myself?

(If you are one of those people who are able push past failure, please comment or email me on how you do it.)