We grow from out mistakes. We blossom into who we are because of them.
My Story
I was crushed when, my junior year of high school, I didn't make my varsity volleyball team. Crazy as it may seem, not making that team is one of the things I am most grateful for. That failure propelled me to become who I am today. I loved to play volleyball, but I lacked confidence, I lacked skill, and I lacked belief in myself. Not making the team made this clear to me. As soon as the crying stopped, I signed up for my first kickboxing class, I emailed the coach to see if I could still practice with them, and I told myself that next year I would be the loudest, most powerful, and most athletic girl on the team. It was hard showing up to the first day of practice after my name wasn't put on the roster. It was hard watching their games from the bench. It was hard not being able to tell people that I wasn't on varsity after having played for two years and being captain of the high school team. But I ignited a passion to improve. I began eating healthier, being more active, building confidence, playing more volleyball, and I began to see the bigger picture. I had discovered my passion for living a healthy lifestyle and I have been offered a spot on the varsity team this coming season. Failing offered me the opportunity to grow into the player and person I wanted to be.
The Truth
Often we only hear and see the highlights of people's lives, especially nowadays with social media. The truth is, we all fail, and we are where we are because of our failures and how we deal with them. My dad sent me this post a while back with some famous failures. The part of the story we don't really hear. So I'll share some of them with you.
Albert Einstein - wasn't able to speak until he was 4. His teacher said that he would "never amount to much"
Oprah Winfrey - got demoted from her position as anchor because she "wasn't fit for television"
Michael Jordan - didn't make his high school basketball team, went home, locked himself in his room and cried
Everyone fails throughout their life. These are just a few examples and only a few of their many failures. But instead of seeing our failures as fatal, we can view them as opportunities to grow!
Failure is an Opportunity to Grow
We need to change the way we view failure. It isn't final unless we let it be. We need to learn from our mistakes, and accept that they are completely normal and are our force of improvement.
Next time you fail, welcome it with open arms, and remember, it's okay. This is good. This is growth.
