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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UAB chapter.

“Fall enough times, you’ll start memorizing new ways to stand.”

-@TheSmartista

I’ve always looked at failing in anything as being negative. I never really consider failing as being part of a process that helps to shape you into the person that you want to be. I never really understood how God could watch you fail at something, and not help – until I experienced failure on my own. It took me failing a couple of times before I truly realized why failing is an essential part of life. Whenever I fail at anything I like to refer back to Romans 5:3-5 which states, “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

Romans 5 verses 3-5 always gives me hope during a time I have failed at something because it is my way of talking to God and knowing that this was all a part of his plan. God places trials and tribulations along your journey of life because that shapes you into the person God has you destined to be. Before college, I was so use to always being good at everything – from my education, to my social life, to just life overall in general. However, upon entering into “adulthood” I began to notice I had many weaknesses. My first major failure was like a blow to my pride, but it humbled me. Failure knocks you down, but knowing that everything has a purpose in your life should be what picks you up. My failure helped me to establish a stronger relationship with God, and to focus more on working on aspects in my life that I wasn’t so strong in.

Success has no expiration date, and it doesn’t matter where you start in life but instead where you finish. You may fail a million times along your journey, but I promise you each time it’ll be a learning experience. Each time you’ll take your failure as a lesson and a blessing versus being a setback. Failure underlies success because in order to succeed you’re going to have to fall a couple of times. You’re going to fail at some point in your life, but what matters most is that you don’t let failure define you. 

My name is Alierykel Williams, but I go by Liery and I'm a Junior majoring in Biomedical Science and Chemistry.
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