The Approach To Failure
“Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we're curious...and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” -- Walt Disney
I’m just entering my 20’s, a student in college taking classes, and still trying to figure life out along the way. One of the biggest and most meaningful takeaways that I’ve come to terms with is that it’s okay to fail, to keep moving forward from experiences that may not have gone the way that I expected. I've come to the conclusion that failure is just a step closer towards my success. Sure, it can be frustrating and can seem like it’d be much easier to just give up and move on to the next. However, growth comes from failure and we learn so much more when we persevere and work our way through it. The fear of failure is the only thing holding us back. You can’t learn how to swim without getting a little wet.
I’ve had my fair share of failures in life, whether it was my first ‘F’ in 7th grade geography, giving up a goal in a championship soccer game, or bombing a job interview. However, I made sure that that was the last F I’d ever get, made sure no one got past me and I’d leave it all out there on the field, and made sure I was just myself and kept looking for a job that fit me best. The point is that I learned from these failures and I got back up and tried harder again and again until I got it right.
I believe that how we deal with failure indicates the direction of growth in our character - how we handle any adversity in life really, can be a pivotal moment or a shift in energy in our attitude towards success. It’s easy to give up after failure, but to move forward and to try again is what makes the challenge and excitement of success more meaningful. In a philosophy class I took a couple semesters back, we talked about how we live in a world where failure isn’t an option and that we should thrive and be successful in everything we do. But think about it, do you believe that we can really learn everything by just our success stories? Or sticking to what we know and practicing the things that we’re already good at? The whole aspect of growth is learning from our mistakes and failures and coming up with solutions ourselves.
After failure, it’s important to not give up and to keep on keeping on. If some of the greatest people in history gave up when times got tough, we most likely wouldn’t be where we are today as a society. If you have a vision, stick to it and keep moving forward. Success isn’t supposed to come easy; success is just the product of the work, dedication, and grit you put into whatever it is that you do.
