Failing Is Not A Failure
A sense of failure is the emotion that people may experience when they do not reach their goals. Some people may say failure is undesirable, a symptom of not being strong enough to endure the heavy weight of your decisions. Others may claim that failure is a necessary step to reach success. To me, failure is best approached by standing up from the bottom of your problems. To me, a positive mindset and persistence is necessary to overcome failure and succeed.
Throughout my childhood, my dad has always provided me with wisdom. Since I was young, he told me to accept failure and move on. The context is fuzzy, but I can remember his advice as if it was yesterday: “Failure is the feeling that gets you started over again, it is the sense that fuels your passion to accomplish your goals, failure is that friend of yours whom you do not hold very dear, but in time that friend is the only thing that gets you going again; it reinvigorates the flame".
At that time, I did not know the true meaning of those words, so I asked him to simplify it for me. “Dad what does that mean?’’ I said in a confused tone. “Well, son, have you ever felt that when you are doing something great, something unheard of, or even something nice, you just get that feeling that you are flying. You are taking a leap of bravery, but suddenly you hit an obstacle, ’’ he said in a measured and earnest voice. “Almost every day, but I fly most of the times, '' I spoke in a self-assured tone. “Every time you hit and miss, you get stronger, your confidence increases and therefore you have the strength to try again. Your attitude must always be optimistic; if it isn’t then you are doomed to fail. You find yourself through failure. You discover who you are, and who you have the opportunity to become, '' came his calm yet impassioned response. “Remember this, most people who fail don't fail because they aim too high, they fail because they aim too low and hit the ground in the process".
These words have stuck with me ever since. I had not really thought about them until recently, but now I can see how father is one of the wisest people I know.
I had never had the need to reflect upon these words until two years ago when I migrated from Venezuela to the United States. Not knowing English and feigning comprehension at school was a struggle. Throughout my academic career, I've always been an accomplished student, and that is what my parents always expect from me. Those expectations haunt me like a ghost. The first month of school in Florida, I struggled. I went crying to my mom because I did not understand a thing. I wanted to go back to Venezuela, but due to the circumstances of my country that was not possible. So, what did I do? I kept fighting, I learned English, which was no easy task. After countless D’s and other setbacks, my persistence paid off when I finally started to understand English. Learning English was not an act of magic. The only thing that got me through that time was to push through my failures and endure. During those months of self-reflection, I discovered myself through my struggles. I gained resilience from my failures. Now I am a strong, smart, and curious person. My dad showed me that failure is not unacceptable. On the contrary, we need failure to become the best versions of ourselves, and that is the most valuable lesson that my father has taught me.
