“We, as human beings, we never give up. “ But, what happens when we fail? A failed exam, a fiasco of a presentation, a plan gone wrong, or a life-changing risk that did not work out? What if you feel like just shutting yourself in, throwing away all the care in the world, and just letting life pass you by while cuddling all that pent up negative emotions? How can you not give up, still persevere and rise above it all?
Phase 1 – Me and my failure.
I remember when I failed one of my exams in college. I know that I did not prepare much but I put the blame on the difficulty of the exam and how the professors seem to want us all to fail the subject. Looking back, surely it was my fault. This is a personal matter. And you should realize that your failure is your failure. This is on you. The moment you start pointing your finger at yourself and owning it up, magic happens, and an invisible thread suddenly connects your heart and mind to find a solution. Your failure is your responsibility. And the quickest you can get to this point, the better you can veer to the direction you are heading or want to go.
Phase 2 – Failure is my teacher.
Imagine always getting late due to traffic? If it’s once or twice, it is understandable. But when it becomes a habit, as in every time you have an appointment, you’re late, by then you know that you are repeatedly disregarding the lesson. Failures point to us the things we did not do, or the things we should have done. There are a lot of lessons involved, and it is such a waste if you do not get it. That’s partly the reason why some problems are recurring, to teach you how to find a solution for that. We fail to have a taste of failure, and in the process, teach us how to handle it. Life is just like that. Learn from it, but avoid dwelling on it.
Phase 3 – Acknowledging my failure.
When you are down, you are down. Negative situations in our life never fail to bring out the worst in us, but also the best in us. Accept and savor the failure, then move forward. Fight your own nastiest enemy, yourself. Be open to motivation, and embrace the progression, as slow as it may seem. Find mentors to talk to. It can be your parents, your colleague, your friend, or an expert. But qualify them in such a way that the bottomline you are aiming for, what you are aspiring for, is related if not similar to them. You would not want to consult a dentist for your heart problem, as you would not ask advice from someone on how to best his problems, when he’s given up on his fight already. Don’t hesitate to ask. Because asking is not a sign of stupidity, but of a mind that is full of potential.
Phase 4 – Acting on it.
Yes, I know, it still doesn’t feel good at this point. But a breakthrough does not happen when you just feel like it happening. It involves acting it out, even if the mind and body are not ready, even if you still feel the pain and even if the world says no. You will really appreciate a mentor in this phase because he can be someone you can talk to about your development. He can be your accountability partner to check on you on the things that needs to be done on a specified period – a deadline. He can be that person you can rely on other than yourself to put reins on your temptations to just quit it and let it be.
Phase 5 – Follow through.
Climbing the mountain of emotions is an arduous task, so don’t do it alone. Don’t lock yourself up, and “emo” yourself to sleep. The environment has a vital role to play, and the company you need is even more important. You’re almost there, so don’t give up. Push yourself further as the going gets tough. And then, you will see the rainbow after that torrential pour, hanging above your head like a crown befitting of a king that conquered his lands and reigned supreme beyond the challenges and failures that struck him. Failures are inevitable but certainly not insurmountable. There’s what they call the snowball effect, where a small thing can have a big impact (either good or bad) in the long run. It can also be applied here. Have you realized who put the snowball in and pushed it in the cliff? Yes, it is you. Make the snowball effect affect you towards your end goal. You can try nine times, fail, try again, and win one. And absolutely, that one win is a win still. It doesn’t matter how big or little it is, but if it’s your finish line, the feeling would be priceless. Life they say is a series of ups and downs, but don’t fret. Just be sure when you close eyes, and watch your life as its flashes, you have no regrets.
“Because, a life of no regrets is worth rising above failures for.”