I always like to compare failure to the process of taking a photoshoot or pictures in general. Imagine someone asks you take take a picture of them and after the multiple shots you've taken, they come back to take a took and you're seeing the disappointment on their face as they look through. Next, the tell you I can't post this, it's not that good. Or they just tell you weren't giving them what they wanted. What are you going to do? Throw the camera away? Get mad and decide never to do photography again? While this reactions will be understandable because you really tried to give your best. You twisted to the sides, tiptoed to get a dramatic shot, even had to go on your knees but all that just didn't work. As someone looking at failure from the positive aspect, you'd try to come up with a solution as to why the picture weren't beautiful enough. Could it be the angle? Or the lighting? A better pose maybe?
In life we encounter many failures, major ones and minor ones alike. The default view of failure would that someone is a loser when he or she fails, at least that's how the society defines it. Others are getting it right and you're not? That's weird. The typical Nigerian Mom will ask you if the people that got it right has two heads. However, I like to redefine failure, it is a mirror for me. One that helps me look back and find out my whys. Why did I fail? Why couldn't I get it right when others are getting it right? Why could I reach my goals just the way I planned it? What could I have done differently?
One of my role models always tell me to keep asking myself those important questions until I get to the root of the matter. The thing is, in as much as I want to beat myself up and throw tantrums, failure help me pause and think . For example, in class we've been doing a lot of UI/UX designs and for some that isn't not designing and graphics, I'm always lagging. Sometime last week, I couldn't even complete a design we were asked to recreate. Other people who got it right were acknowledged and rewarded but I wasn't. It didn't feel good rightly, but I started to think and ask myself questions. It helped me evaluate myself and find out things I could do better.
Failure teaches me resilience. Just as someone would give up on photography just because of bad pictures. Similarly when we don't get things right, it pushes us to want to get it right. For me, there's always an undeniable force that makes me want to to keep trying until I get a task done and I'm never stopping till I get what I want. The concept of failure is just in the perspective, changing your view, adjusting the 'angle' so to say. When you fail in whatever course you're on, think of it as an opportunity to improve and do better. Life is not that smooth, the fact that you tried something in a particular way and it didn't work can be a proof that trying it in another way will do the trick. By seeing failure as a mirror, it can help us review ourselves, our goals, our tasks and see ways to make the most dramatic and mind-blowing comeback ever .
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