Failure invites success. When something great is achieved, it probably failed a hundred times first. No one thinks about this when it is accomplished because his or her main focus rests on the success that was just introduced. The victory and honor of creating such an unreal idea and making it true triumphs the embarrassment of failure. So why are we so afraid to fail? We are witnesses to failure everyday. People have to live with their lives so dramatically breaking down before them. Every second multiple people are failing at something. Maybe it’s at love, loss, envy, or even your education, no matter how hard you try. The “collapse” of your life is shaping you, molding you into changed person. How you overcome the failure is what’s truly crucial. Find the essence of what made you feel embarrassed, or rejected and then don’t take it so personal and keep moving. Failure is the best thing that can happen to some people. It saves them, and slowly guides them towards a fresh goal with even more to look forward too. Be good at failing with grace.
So why are we so afraid to fail? I think that’s the real question. What about it makes feel like our world is over or that our hearts have just been ripped out? Does this feeling motivate us or discourage us? I think as much as we all don’t want to admit it; failure makes us fight, and fight hard for the things we truly desire. Look at George Washington; some say he never actually won a battle. But in his case it’s not the battles that made him a winner, it his undying commitment to his country. He failed in every way a commander could fail out in the field, but his quest for the long term victory was more than success: he defeated and conquered. Washington gained so much from his failures that I genuinely think he was okay with it in the end. I’m sure he was more embarrassed than anyone. Not the I-just-failed-an-AP-test kind of way. Like men-just-died-because-of-me kind of way. He competed and many believe that he won more than was thought possible.
Often we think of failure as the worst we have done or will do. Is the worst we can do, someone else’s best? We learn and educate ourselves to the max when we fail at something. To be honest if you succeed at something for the first time it probably just luck or chance. It’s commonly known to not be good at something right off the bat. Isn’t that why we go to history class? So we can study other people’s mistakes and flaws so we can understand and interpret when it happens to us. History repeats itself, and when it does we will be ready. We don’t want to relapse into the same failures someone else made if we can prevent it. What if your oversight taught someone else? Also failure makes you so grateful for success! It makes feel that much better too. So don’t dwell on your flaws or mishaps, draw your attention to the future fortunes you will have.
Is your failure that bad? Or are you just mortified of what people might think? Falling short of an expectation is disappointing. But if you did everything possible to succeed, to me you are success. Don’t judge yourself or others. Love what you took a stand on and don’t back down from it. Try and fail; but to never try is a lifetime of what ifs. Failures can be so guiding and fortunate and you just don’t know it yet. Learn form your failures and be confident.