No one likes failing. No one wakes up and thinks "I think I want to fail today." Although no one plans on failing, it is okay to fail.
This is something that I have always had problems with. I hold myself to such a high standard and I am the hardest critic of myself, so when things do not go my way I tend to freak out. It is okay to freak out too. Recently I have learned that it is okay for me to fail because things always work out in the end and that we learn more from our failures than we do our achievements.
When you fail, you have to think outside of the box. You have to figure out how you want to cope if you want to continue to strive toward whatever you failed doing, and how you are going to continue to work toward your goal. You should always keep trying, do not give up.
Everyone fails. People like J. K. Rowling and Michael Jordan have even failed. It took J.K. Rowling seven years to publish the first book of the Harry Potter series. She kept trying and is now an award-winning author whose series has turned into a fan favorite. The series has become movies, amusement parks, and created an entire subdivision of fans called Pottheads. The NBA legend, Michael Jorda, did not make his high school basketball team. This caused Jordan to keep working and he became a phenomenal player. He has won multiple awards from the Rookie of the Year in 1985 to the Best NBA Player ESPY Award.
Here are some tips that I have recently learned in coping and overcoming failure:
1. Cry, But Not in Public
You will be upset, and that is okay. Let it out. Cry. Scream. Do whatever helps you, but do not let people see you. Do not let people see that you are upset, you are stronger than that.
2. Calm Down, Do Not Do Anything Irrational
Before you say or do anything that could potentially make matters worse, calm down. Do not give up everything because you are upset. Everyone has bumps in the road.
3. Talk to People
Listen to people, their advice will help so much. Listen to your parents, siblings, and mentors. They will not let you give up, but they will give you your time.
4. Take Time to Yourself
Sit by yourself and think. You will come to the realization that you do not want to quit that easy.
5. Come Up With a Plan
Figure out how you are going to overcome the minor setback. Make sure that it is reasonable and that you are not planning things outside of your reach that will only lead to more failure.
Life is about learning, and if you can learn so much from failing. I hope none of you fail, but it is inevitable. I just hope you have the courage and strength to keep pushing on.
