Failure is JUST a Setback
Today I failed… again. I told myself, “Learn from your mistakes.” Guess what, I hate mistakes. I love challenges and learning new things, so I understand failure is inevitable, but darn it still stings. It has nothing to do with pride. I am not embarrassed, just frustrated. In an effort to get a job I wanted, I missed one too many questions on a timed quiz. I prepared, possibly over analyzed, but it didn’t matter. As soon as the timer started, I panicked.
Ever have that feeling, where your gut says one thing and your head says another? Yep, that’s what happened. I got into an unnecessary internal battle; I swam upstream instead of with the current, and here I am disappointed. Initially, I wanted to cry and then I wanted to be mad. Eventually, I prayed that they would see my demo and give me another chance. I ended up at the cemetery in the rain talking to Ava and listened to her recite a speech I had given many times.
“Chin up, little lady, the best you can do is give it your all and if it doesn’t work out, you have two choices. You try again or you move on to something else, but never give up. The world is full of opportunities and the right one is out there for you. Just keep learning, growing and shining.”
That’s one hell of a speech if I say so myself. I’ll take it and keep waving my broken magic wand. This is just me fumbling through this life with all its ups, downs, upside downs, and over under bendy blunders.
How do I bounce back from failure?
As I was wondering this question, I went on an internet expedition to seek some wisdom and right off the bat I found a quote I liked and some great tips too.
“Remember: you’re not a failure just because you had a setback.” by HENRIK EDBERG
Then there was this….
“People with a growth mindset interpret failure in a completely different way. To them, failure signals that they didn’t put in enough effort. So when people with a growth mindset experience rejection, instead of folding they double down. They work even harder, which in turn increases their chances of future success. Growth people see rejection and failure as not only a necessary part of the journey but a beneficial one. To them, rejection is the fire they use to forge their skills into hardened steel.” Melissa Burkley Ph.D.
Forging my skills into hardened steel sounds sweet!
I knew there was a reason I was drawn to write about my experience today. It forced me to think about my feelings AND seek a way to grow. I knew why I failed, yet I momentarily labeled myself as a failure. I am not a failure; I just had a setback. I know why and I will come back tomorrow and try again.
Timers and testing is a whole other topic, but “what the hell” is all I have to say about that… today!
“Be better today than you were yesterday, and be better tomorrow than you are today.”— Lorenzo Snow
