"True Failure" by Ivan G

 

"The secret of life is to fall seven times and to get up eight times."

— Paulo Coelho

 

There’s no feeling worse than failure. If you’ve ever stayed up all night studying for a test, just to bomb it the next day; if you’ve ever perfectly followed a recipe online and had it come out nothing like the picture; if you’ve ever poured weeks into preparation to try out for a sport, just to not make the cut; if you’ve ever tried, and failed—you understand the feeling of defeat.

Failure is defined as the lack of success. However, this definition does not consider three things. The first of the three is persistence. When you keep getting back up after a loss, no matter how intense, it’s inevitable that you will get better. Oftentimes we take on tasks with the idea that we will be able to get it right on the first try, and while that may be true sometimes, the fact is that the key to success is to fail many times.

The second thing the definition of failure does not consider is patience. You might solemnly shut yourself in your room after not making the team, or give up on a class after failing that test, but the one who failed just as you did and understands the value of patience and persistence, and continues to reach towards his goals, is the one who ultimately reaps the rewards. A common saying by Stephen McCranie reads, “The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.”

The third, and arguably most important thing the definition of failure does not consider is humility. Being able to see the bigger picture is a crucial step in motivating yourself to achieve success. And even after you do achieve success through patience and persistence, humility is ultimately the final cog in the wheel that allows us to see past our own abilities. It allows us to understand that there’s no such thing as perfection and to strive to go the extra mile, breaking records and making history, truly achieving success.

The antithesis of failure is humility, patience, and persistence. To get up after an especially nasty fall, knowing that you’ve come back with a new lesson learned, and to keep repeating that process over and over until you’re satisfied with your capabilities. It’s easy to associate repetition with futility. However, it’s abundantly clear that failing over and over is a major step to achieving success. Each failure brings new knowledge that allows you to improve upon every new attempt.

This brings us to the definition of failure. Failure is being unable to see the value in every mistake made along the journey to success, and being okay with mediocrity. Oftentimes, we mistakenly see failure as something permanent. Why try again when your last attempt yielded no results? It’s easier to keep trying something new until you land on something that you’re able to get right. This is a flawed way to go about life, and the value of humility, patience, and persistence when dealing with loss cannot be understated. To truly fail, is to give up.