A Taste Of Failure

Image is mine

One funny aspect of life that we do not really talk about enough is how everyone wants to succeed, yet a majority of these people are rooted in a deep-seated fear of failure, which they despise. It's ironic because how does one hope to succeed if they don't fail?

It seems that some forget success is built on the foundation of failure, challenges and setbacks. A majority of us want our future to be bright and filled with achievements, but then, when it comes to the experiences, the mistakes, and the errors which serve as stepping stones towards these futuristic achievements, we shy away. It's just like the popular phrase from my part of the world, which states that everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die.

Everyone wants to enjoy the sweet fruit of success, but no one wants to labour for it.

I remembered when I was doing my second degree and I was overly confident that I could not fail because I had never failed before, and while people studied, I relied on my old methods of cramming a day to the exam.

Now, this is what success does; it impedes our growth process by keeping us stuck at a particular level of accomplishment. It strips us of the desire and urge to do better and be better, unlike failure, which puts us in a competitive environment of constant improvements.

Moving on, when the exam finally came and I saw the questions, I panicked because it did not look like what cramming would solve. In fact, everything I had crammed left my memory. It was a practical question rooted in real-life happenings. Something similar to word problems, and all I did in my study was to cram definitions and characteristics.

As I sat there, lost in confusion, staring blankly at the questions, I started sweating profusely while the thought of failing sent a cold shiver down my spine. Seeing others writing didn't even help matters, and I knew it was over for me. Right there and then, I felt some hot tears coming in, and I rushed to submit my blank paper while I went to the restroom to cry. I hated myself, and for the first time in my life, I felt like a failure.

I had two options: cry or salvage the situation. I chose the latter because it has never been how hard I fall, but if I ever get back up

I started studying the courses left with keen interest, and I tried to join some study groups, but it was almost too late, and I was quite tense to assimilate properly. I did get lucky and joined several revision classes, which gave me a clearer understanding of how to answer the exam questions.

After the exams, I continued studying and revisited all the questions with the knowledge I had gathered. Although my grades were below average and I had a carryover, I was determined to do better.

You see, this experience prompted me to be good at what I do because I went on to read and research everything and anything that has to do with world Economics.

In return, my grades not only improved, but my knowledge grew, and this has built me a solid career over the years.