I think the only thing that we humans fear the most is failure. Let's talk about it. What's wrong about failing at something? I know what you all must be thinking right now. 'Everything is wrong about failure. It is easy for her to sit at home and write blogs about being okay with failing at something.' Isn't it?
That's exactly what I used to think. For me it meant the end of the world. I just couldn't stand the thought of failing at something, let alone actually experiencing it. But is it really possible that you succeed everytime? Is it so bad to not be able to achieve success? I'll share my own experience.
I am twenty years old and I had always been excellent at studies. I scored really well in my high school exams and was always praised for the same. I believed that I can achieve anything in life, which infact is true. When I say that it is okay to fail, it doesn't mean that you don't have the potential to do it. Every person on this earth is equally capable to achieve whatever he wants to. There is nothing that you cannot do. You just have to believe in yourself. I believed that since I was good at studies, I should be able to succeed at my very first attempt, irrespective of whatever I decided to do.
I appeared for Common Proficiency Test, which is the entrance to the course of Chartered Accountancy. To believe in yourself is a must, and so is to accept failure. Even if you fail in an exam or a task or whatever, does it mean that you are not capable? No, you are capable to do anything that you want to. Failure doesn't indicate lack of potential. There might be other reasons for the same. So I believed in my capabilities and appeared for the exam and I cleared it. Another event of success was added to the diary of my life. By that time I started feeling a pressure build up in my mind. A self created pressure, which made me believe that I had to clear every exam the same way like I always did. Because if I am unable to do so, it would question my potential. I started fearing exams. I studied a lot though, but something didn't feel right. No matter how hard I tried to concentrate, I just couldn't focus on the subjects. Nevertheless, I increased my study hours and finally appeared for my exams.
I was very nervous because I knew that I didn't prepare well. Not that I didn't try, I did give my best. I also fell sick during the exams which worsened the already not-so-good situation. My results were not like what I expected. I wasn't expecting a high score but I also didn't imagine failing in six out of seven subjects. It was shocking for me. I failed in almost every subject. Instead of trying to look for my mistakes, I focused on the target to clear my exams the next time. I still didn't feel like studying, I just forced myself and re- appeared for the exams. I failed once again. Only if I had focused on the fact that maybe Chartered Accountancy was not my field of interest. I was just thinking about proving it to everyone else that I can succeed in every field that I choose.
I wasted two years of my life trying to prove something totally irrelevant. I didn't identify my interest and kept on working upon the same thing. What was that thing? Satisfying my fragile ego or trying to boost up my underconfident self? Whatever it was, it definitely wasn't healthy. It took me two years to realize that I had to move on. I always had a deep interest for writing and I decided to do that. I am not saying that you should always take some risk. Keep a back up plan, pursue your interest and I am sure you will succeed. The idea of having a back up plan is not because you cannot succeed. Rather it is to make you feel that you still have a plan if you fail. This would lessen your stress and you'll be able to do wonders in whatever you choose. Just believe in yourself. There are millions of options and opportunities to explore. Failing in one of them doesn't make you any less than others.
