The Upside of Failure

Growth is not always something that comes as easily or naturally as one expects.

College has forced me to become more independent, more mature, and most importantly, more confident. It has changed me for the better and, dare I say it, pushed me to grow in ways I had never been pushed before. But at the core of it all is this: failure. Failure is so crucial in personal development, yet we cower in the face of it. We have it ingrained in our minds that failure is inherently bad and something to be avoided at all costs.

It’s interesting to me because while I have grown the most during my time at BU, I have also failed the most here too. I have failed assignments and exams, failed to keep in touch with my friends from back home, failed to call my parents as often as I told them I would, failed to attend meetings because of overcommitments, failed to remember my roommate’s birthday, and the list goes on. Each and every time, I would bash myself. I have to do better. But the reality is, it’s ok to make these mistakes. What matters most is that we grow from them. Remaining stagnant should be our biggest fear, not failure.

So, I come back to my first statement: growth is not always something that comes as easily or naturally as one expects. It is, without a doubt, a very, very tough process, but how you choose to embrace it is up to you. The way I see it, growth is our body’s defense mechanism against those horrible notes of failure that we are sometimes overcome with. Good thing life has no end goal; we can keep growing forever and ever and ever. In fact, every day is a new opportunity to be better, treat others better, and treat yourself better. Remember: failure does not define you, how you respond in the face of it does.