One issue I find in people my age is their perception of failure.
Failing is bad, forbidden, and something we avoid at all costs. We do not want to fail as students, employees or in the relationships we make or are scared to make.
People my age are so afraid of failure that they would rather live their lives with little to no risk because it limits the possibility of failure. Although more risk raises the chance of failure, it also raises the chance of more success.
Last semester I failed two classes, I was fired from my job, and I felt so low. I have never experienced this amount of failure in my life.
The crazy thing is I would call those “failures” my biggest accomplishments.
After failing those two classes plus being fired from my job, I reflected on what I wanted to do with my life and decided at the beginning of the summer I would take my passion for photography more seriously.
I did not go find a job this summer, but instead started taking as many photos for little to no money. By the end of the summer in August, I made $2,000 by doing freelance photography alone.
I found out what type of degree I want to pursue, which gave me a goal in my education instead of merely going to school because it is what my parents want me to do.
Now that midterms are over, I have straight As and I put way more time into my studies than ever before.
So, my point is: take risks. If your goals and aspirations are just outside of your reach then you will grow as a person instead of plateauing, or even worse, going backwards. Failure is the beginning of your next greatest achievement.
Filmmaker Casey Neistat says “Without a goal, you cannot score,” and “the most dangerous thing you can do in life is play it safe.”
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