Failures are seen as inevitable foes, but they really are your friend

I used to worry a lot about bad grades in college. One bad paper might send me into a flurry of activity to try and compensate. I might spend hours getting a 10-point assignment perfect, wasting time that I could have spent enjoying other things or making sure that a larger project got done correctly. Then I realized an important concept regarding failures.

My diploma is a compilation of all my grades. Whether I get an A or a B in a class, the only place that reflects my grades is my GPA. And guess what, once you’re out of college, no one cares if you got a 4.0, 3.5, or even 3.0. It’s all about the diploma. I’m not encouraging anyone to fail a class. What I’m saying is that one lower grade or even a failed class is not a reason to completely give up on your college dreams.

Let’s take the example of a job search. You apply for 10 jobs, but only get 2 interviews. Then, you only get one offer. Did you fail 9 times? Or did you win once?

Do you know how many times I’ve submitted story ideas or pitches to publishers only to get turned down or even worse, no response at all? When I do get published, only one or two of my closest friends actually know how hard I worked to overcome rejection.

Who’s really counting your failures?

Most people only see your successes. Our friends and family members generally don’t count the number of times we failed. Unless of course, you’re running for office or you have a toxic person in your life. Instead of looking back at how many times you’ve botched up your life, look at how many times you’ve succeeded.

Don’t be so afraid of failing that you can’t move forward in your life. Failure is going to happen. It’s how you handle your failures that count.