It is always disheartening when we encounter failure in regards to something we love. When we know that we could have done better and were capable of success, a situation that turned out negatively leaves us very frustrated. But what tends to hurt even more is when we've done our absolute best and still came up short. The effort was there, the dedication was there and the passion was unparalleled, but it didn't seem to affect the outcome at all.

For me personally, the thing that I have so much interest in, but lack any talent for is foreign language. I find the Spanish language fascinating, have devoted many hours to its study and practice, but barely manage to accomplish anything with it at all. I have to spend so much more time than my peers to be able to keep my head above water in class, and all that work feels like it was for nothing when a Spanish speaking family comes up to me at work and asks for simple directions to the nearest bathroom that I'm unable to provide coherently. The language barrier that I work so hard to chip away at prevents me from doing so many things; from safety instructions to human connection, my inability to comprehend the inner workings of foreign speech wears me down.

But what we need to come to realize is that feeling defeated and beating ourselves up over failure isn't doing any good at all. It doesn't change the outcome of the situation, nor does it help us to become better at the thing we're trying so hard to have success with. It's human to feel down after experiencing negativity, but the only direction to go is forward.

The most important thing is to not let anything diminish your passion. Failure is a learning opportunity that puts you one step closer to achieving your goal. Some of us move slower along the path to success but that isn't a reason to stop moving altogether. Reaching your goal isn't a race because there's no one running except you. The endpoint isn't going anywhere and will still yield the same rewards when you reach it.

So stand back up, dust yourself off and head off in the direction you wish to go. The passion, the determination, the heart is what is required; the talent and skills will come in time. You'll get there sooner than you may think, and finally get to soak in the feelings of success and pride that come when you achieve something that you've given dedication to for so long. The rest of us will be cheering you along every step of the way and celebrating when you receive your well-deserved success.