Failure, and its relation to learning
Throughout life, there are failures that we face. whether in an academic environment, relationships, a new hobby, or anything in between. This failure is still here, still prominent, and still an everyday part of life. If we acknowledge our failure or not does not change its existence, only our plan to grow beyond what we have faced, and how to improve. If we do not face these failures, we cannot move on. For me, my failures have been widespread. They were all items that shaped me, but all within their own way.
When I ran for student body president, and was not awarded the position. It did not matter of the work I had already completed on this position, of the money that was spent campaigning, of how much effort I put into my speeches, it was all for nothing within my mind.
When I did not receive presidency for a club that I was apart of for four years, always active and instead given the position of vice president, I was not thinking of my list of accomplishments, only of that one failure.
When I made the decision to change my desired field of study from veterinary sciences to criminal justice, I did not see myself as picking a field that may better suit me, but only hearing voices telling me of how I would never have made it as a vet, how I was never good enough at math, and was I really sure I could even make it as an agent? Could I ever improve physically and mentally enough for this job and how it would shape me?
See, I had an issue with failure. I had never seen it as a way to grow, as a way to improve upon myself. I only saw it in the same way as a black and white photograph- only for what is seen, not what is beyond the photo. Not of the colors in life, of the high points. I only saw the low points, I was only awoken to my failures. I could never understand why I was not good enough for the first place title, of the championship title, of the recognition for my work. It did not matter to me that I still was top four in my state as a freshman in extemporaneous speaking, the youngest competitor. It did not matter that I was still a part of the council, and ran behind the scenes work whenever our officers were not available. To me, these were still failures in clubs that I had dedicated all my free time to.
For many however, they can relate more to the academia and workplace side of failure. The first F you ever saw on a test paper you thought you did so well on, glaring at you in that bright red ink, all you can focus on. The first time you did not receive credit for a class, or when you were passed up for a major promotion that you had set up all of your work for. Where you feel you will not reach that next stepping stone, instead stationary in the middle of a rushing river.
The thing with failure however, is that failure is needed for learning. You may fall a few times before learning to ride a bike, or be passed up for that position five times over before your potential is recognized. Even if you do not reach your goal on the first leg of the race, does not mean that you have lost it all. It merely means that your work will increase from here. That you are still in this race, and you have to remember that. Failure was always an option, even if we wish to avoid it. That major change in college is not a failure at your first career choice, its a recognition of your joys and skills in another field that may better suit you. Not receiving that first place trophy does not mean that you did not have an amazing speech, or that you are not enough, it only means that you are fantastic, and always will have chances to improve. To improve however you want, you must remember- failure will always precede success, no matter the pathway you take.
Take that failure, and build a larger success for yourself. Improve your story, and never back down from that failure, know what follows closely behind.
