I am tired of failures and I am quitting
In this competitive world, everyone wants to be the best. Yeah, it might seem pretty reasonable cause it is like that, right? The one who does better gets better. In this competition, we often forget that losing does not mean that it is over; instead, it shows that we are moving forward and it is progress. It is better than standing still cause if you are standing still, you will never reach anywhere, but if you are walking, even slower than you might get somewhere.
“Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself.”
— Charlie Chaplin
I am quitting a shivering hand wrote. A heart was full of chaos, a heart filled with guilt, failure, and incompetence. It is not just a sentence but a reality nowadays.
In a world full of competition, when people fail in an academic/competitive exam, a relationship, a business, or whatever, a few people quit. Thinking that the world is over for them, they have failed it, and they don’t have many options left. Everyone will judge them, and everyone will look at them as a failure.
If you, too, have ever thought like this, at least once or never, please do read this post till the end. These are my perspectives of how I see my life, and you need not agree with this; I value and respect them.
Failure
Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Beyonce Knowles, Bill Gates, Charles Darwin, Charlie Chaplin, Chris Gardner, Colonel Harland Sanders, Curtis Jackson (aka 50 Cent), Dr Seuss, Elizabeth Arden, Elvis Presley, Emily Dickinson, Fred Astaire, George Lucas, Harrison Ford, Henry Ford, Howard Schultz, Jack Canfield, James Dyson, Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Carrey, JK Rowling, Jack London, John Hamm, Katy Perry, Keanu Reeves, Madonna, Marilyn Monroe, Mark Cuban, Mark Zuckerberg, Michael Jordan, Milton Hershey, Oprah Winfrey, Richard Branson, Robert T. Kiyosaki, Soichiro Honda, Stephen King, Steve Jobs. Steven Spielberg, Sylvester Stallone, The Beatles, Thomas Edison, Vincent Vangogh, Walt Disney, Winston Churchill.
These are just a few names of the people whose names the world knows. Whose lives were filled with failures, and to be honest, there are plenty of names that the world doesn’t know yet or will never know, millions of people who failed, tried again and again and became successful in their lives.
The only motive of saying is that it is OK to fail; it is OK not to get an admission into an NIT/IIT/IIIT or IIM. It is OK not to get the gold medal; it is also OK to not get the dream job in your dream company. Yes, you have given your 200% and still failed. That’s what you are saying right now. I agree; I understand the gravity of the situation too, maybe you needed it the most. Probably you gave your best shot also, or you think that you might have done better. Or whatever, first of all, let’s accept the fact that we have lost, winning, or losing are just the two faces of growing and progressing. And please take that it is OK to fail, even after giving out everything. If you gave your best, then no problem, try again with the new approaches, and if you think you did not give your best, try again with your best.
Life is often too simple. Don’t overthink it by thinking about it, again and again, instead analyze what might have gone wrong, rectify it, and try again. Use your common sense everywhere.
Incompetency
रहिमन देखि बड़ेन को, लघु न दीजै डारि।जहाँ काम आवे सुई, कहा करे तरवारि॥
The razor blade is sharp but can’t cut a tree; the axe is strong but can’t cut the hair.
Everyone is necessary, according to his/her unique purpose. Never look down on anyone unless you are admiring their shoes.
First of all, I firmly believe that if someone on this planet or universe has done something, then I too may do it; if not better, at least I may clone it. And if none has done it, then Congratulations! You are going to be the first person to do it.
Everyone has his own set of qualities, be it good qualities or bad qualities. Not all the fingers are equal, and they aren’t for a purpose. So it is with a human being. We might be excellent at something, and also, we might be terrible at ordinary things. So kindly do not compare yourself with someone and think that you are incompetent. Taking inspirations and setting benchmarks are good, but do not take it otherwise. S/he might be good at some set of skills, and you are in some other set of skills.
Everyone has his timeline, your classmate might get his/her dream job at 21, and you are still struggling with your startup idea. Someone may become successful in his 20s, some in their 30s, and some even after retirement. And yeah! Everything is OK. They have their timeline, and you have your own.
Luck
I don’t believe that luck is a coincidence. I believe it’s the result of tireless preparation, hours and hours perfecting your craft. Being willing to go harder and further than the next man. For me, luck is no coincidence🤝♟
— Magnus Carlsen
I don’t believe in luck. I think that whatever is happening around me with me is best for me, is for the betterment. I am working hard and believe that there will be a moment when I will look back in my life; I may look at everything as connecting dots. (I still can). It is only possible when we let things go when we move forward.
Expectations vs Reality
There was a boy, Kuldeep, who fell on a hole beside the road, he was asking for help, and no one was passing by that road, so obviously, no one came for help. Soon a sage was passing by and heard the cryings of the boy, he saw him, and he slept beside him silently. Initially, the boy thought that the sage would pull him up, and he will stand again by his support. But it was an unexpected thing from the sage. He started thinking that this sage is mad, gathered his courage, stood up, and ran away. The irony is that the boy still didn’t realize how the sage helped him stand again without helping him. And so is with us, when we ask for help, we often imagine, or we usually order how we want help. And in doing so, we often think that no one is helping, everyone is selfish and whatnot.
There was a person Kuldeep, a steadfast believer of God, who lived in a village. One day the flood came, and the flood covered almost all the town with water. The military and other volunteer organizations gathered to help the people of the village. They started evacuating the city with the boat. But Kuldeep refused to come, as he believed that God would come and save him. Time passed, and the volunteers saved others stuck in the flood. The water level rose, and they sent a helicopter to pick the remaining people.
Kuldeep again refused, stating the God himself will come and save him. The water level rose further, and he drowned. In the afterlife, Kuldeep got to meet God and was allowed to ask questions to God himself. Kuldeep pleaded with God why he didn’t come to help him. God responded that he/she came there to help him not once but thrice. Firstly by informing him about the flood beforehand and asking him to leave his home immediately, secondly by the volunteers in the boat and third via the helicopter. All the time, he denied taking the help.
The lessons again the same, God or nature, is always helping us in one or another form. By continually giving us reminders about who we are with the people around us by events happening in our life. It is all about the perspective, how we want to see that. Often deep down, we know that instead of doing a particular thing, we might have invested our time doing better things, but still, we regret and plead that we do not have time.
You are complete
I don’t know how many times you might have told yourself this, but yeah, you are beautiful, you are kind-hearted, you are brave, and you dare to fight against all the odds that you think you have. Please start appreciating things that you have, and work towards the things that you don’t.
Whatever decision that you may have taken in the past, please value it. It was the decision that you made by giving your everything. So, probably you needed it at that time. Do not get stick to that thing by thinking about why you made a wrong decision, or you might have made a better decision. It was something that you thought was the best at that instant. So if it went right, Kudos!, if it wasn’t, no problem, try again.
You have your whole life to figure out what to do.
Disclaimer:
Views shared in this post are independent and is/are of author/s.