Learning from failure

IF there is one thing which I can be vocal about as a person, it is that I am no stranger to failure. I managed to learn a few things from the rough roads that I have traversed – extremely important things that I can claim have helped me become the better person that I am now.

Webster’s dictionary defines failure as “the nonperformance of an assigned or expected action” or “a falling short of one’s goals.” I consider the first definition to apply to the short-term failures we all experience often when trying to do something, such as missing an outstanding mark in a rating period. The second definition, however, has far greater impact on us since our goals can be very closely tied to who we are as individuals.

Albert Einstein said, “If you've never failed, you've never tried anything new.” It was a long journey that took dedication, perseverance and a willingness to fail – repeatedly, that made it possible for Einstein to achieve what he did and become the genius he's known as today. Why? Because he learned from all the failures he’d been through.

Some perceive failure as the ultimate loss of control. It isn't. You can't control the stock market, the weather or the dismal response your students have during your last lecture. What you can control is your reaction to it. Instead of blowing a fuse or assigning blame, you can choose to take responsibility, learn from your mistakes and make corrections going forward.

Failing can be one of the most incredible drivers to success. This is because failure sets you on a new path. When you fail, it could be a sign that you shouldn’t have been going in this direction, to begin with. Another good thing in failing is that it creates strong, wise people.

It’s quite likely that those of us who talk about failure in an excited way do so because of what it taught us. It doesn’t mean that the pain is any less; it doesn’t mean that the experience is any gentler. The understanding you come to is that screwing things up isn’t a diversion from your journey, it’s a part of it. This is why, according to some research, those who have failed do tend to be strong, compassionate, loving people. I can proudly say I am all these three.