A few months ago, I was having a low moment, and someone said to me, "this doesn't define who you are. It will pass, and you'll be okay". I smiled and said thanks, but in my head, I had one question, how? How do I not let this one failure define me? How do I get back up? But most importantly, how do I survive this? It was at that moment when I realized that there are times when a walk in nature doesn't make you feel better; neither will a call from your favorite person nor will listening to your favorite song. That's the power of failure- something that makes you question everything in your life.
The more people I spoke to about how I felt, the more I learned things about failure that proved very helpful. The first is that high expectations sometimes cause failure. We often feel pressured to be and do better until we forget that life doesn't always go as planned. While creating that perfect image of how we should be, we forget one key thing: reality. It is imperative to be realistic while those standards or expectations are being set as they help you realize that the perfect life doesn't exist. Have expectations and push yourself to do the best you can but leave room for failure because life happens when you make those plans.
Additionally, I realized that failure is what you define it to be. Some categorize something as a failure based on other people's achievements, while others may do so based on their past successes. An instance is getting a "B" on a test which is generally a good thing. However, it may not seem like it when you start making comparisons to other students' grades. The comparison makes you forget what the real purpose of education is, and all you see is how the next person is better than you. When I felt like I failed, I did so because I thought people around me were doing better. What I didn't understand was that I had just undergone a significant change in my life, and change has its consequences; thus, if I did fail, it's okay. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that you shouldn't have a role model or someone you look up to. What I mean is, let that person inspire you into thinking that you can be anything you want, not the other way around.
Finally, I learned that it is okay to fail sometimes. The phrase might sound cliche, but it is the truth. Failure is inevitable; therefore, we have the choice to either learn from it and become better people or let it serve as a barrier to our successes. As kids, a massive part of what we learned was by failing. From learning how to take our first steps, say our first words, or ride a bicycle, the first trial was never successful. We fell or said some words wrongly, but each failure helped us learn a different technique or approach to the problem. As adults, this is still applicable to our lives. If you failed a test because you stayed up late, don't let that render you dumb, instead go to bed early the next time you have a test.
In conclusion, I'll admit that I still struggle with accepting failures daily, but I believe that change starts with the little things. After you've read this, take a small step, appreciate your efforts and remember, it's okay to fail, and it's okay to make mistakes. What is not okay is letting that stop you from reaching your full potential. Sometimes, failing is just what we need to do something the right way.