Aaliyah said it best, “If at first, you don’t succeed, dust yourself off and try again.” Life encourages you to make mistakes. As perfect as we may all try to be, there is no such thing. Perfection does not come without failure, and even then, when you do succeed, there’s always room for improvement. We are constantly expected to know the who, when, where and why of life. Being unsure is perfectly fine; the rest of the world is also confused, make the most of it.
We’ve all been there. And even though it may not feel okay, trust the process that everything will be. There are many ways in life we may have thought we failed at something, but there’s always another door that will grant you access. This could be regarding school, a career, a relationship, just about anything life has to offer you. You must remember that you are given two opportunities to either succeed or fail, and failing is not a permanent stop sign to whatever your end goal was.
Succeeding in life is not only about your skill level but your mindset. You have to go into anything you do thinking you’re shit. Even if you’re not entirely at a level of proficiency, you have to start somewhere. It can be easy to compare yourself with others close in age who may seem like their life is great with social media today. You should take those feelings of possible envy and put that into your work. Anything is possible with enough drive; you can succeed at anything you want. Learn not to be so hard on yourself. Life is already complicated; why make it harder coming from yourself.
Next time you don’t ace that test or get that job you wanted, go and treat yourself. Retail therapy, listening to music, getting your favorite food or dessert will help lighten the disappointment you may feel. If it means talking it out with a friend or family member, do that, maybe a therapist. Sleeping and running away from our problems always sounds promising. Facing your problems only makes you more badass than you already are.
Why add salt to an open wound? Celebrate your highs and your lows—no need to kick yourself down more than you already are. Celebrating a learning experience should be fun. It provides you feedback on what you need to do next time. It’s like a free blueprint to do better at your next given opportunity. Remember, collegiettes, you’re not supposed to take life too seriously; please try to enjoy the ride. There will come a time where you will look back at your hardships and chuckle at the thought. At the time, it probably felt impossible, but when you overcome such a task, you feel grounded. It’s like finally being able to cross off that chore on your to-do list. Life sadly only gets harder; appreciate your failures, and when in doubt, a glass of wine will do the trick.