Learning From Failure, Essay Example

We all desire our lives to be defined by our successes but sometimes our failures play bigger roles in shaping our lives. With the exception of few cultures, failure has negative stigma almost universally. There were few things I feared as much as failure because I have always been a perfectionist but one academic experience changed my attitude towards failure.

Math may be one of the least popular courses among high school students but it was one of my favorite courses. I enjoy courses that challenge me and push me to the limits and also fulfill my desire for continuous learning. Even though I mostly did well in Math, there was a brief period during which I struggled and no matter how hard I worked, my grade in Math would not improve. The fact that I was almost failing the course that had always been my strength took heavy emotional toll on me and also significantly hurt my self-confidence. I wondered if I could not succeed in a single course despite my best efforts, how would I succeed in a much tougher exam called life? Fortunately, I recovered my mojo in Math the following year and that is when I realized my failing grade was not due to my lack of commitment or capabilities but rather incompatibility of my learning style with the previous teacher’s instruction methods. This single experience taught me more about life than what I had learnt in years.

The first major lesson I got from this experience was that failure is not falling short of expectations but to give up. I also learnt that failures often teach us more about ourselves than successes. Similarly, the response to disappointment should not be getting discouraged but rather to analyze why disappointment occurred in the first place so that one doesn’t repeat mistakes. I also learnt that failure should not be feared otherwise we would never take risks in order to discover our true potential. When we are willing to embrace failure, we are more likely to step outside our comfort zone. I believe mental intelligence is not a sufficient condition for success in life; emotional intelligence is equally important if not more. Failures help us develop emotional intelligence because going gets tough in the face of disappointments and only those with strong determination stay on the course. All these insights have given me the courage to decide to pursue medicine and I have no doubt I will have a successful career as a medical professional.

I now understand one should always keep an eye on the ultimate goal because the journey usually involves both ups and downs. I may fall short of expectations at time but giving up will not be an option for me. I will also succeed in the medical field because I am passionate about it. When one is passionate about something, he will go to any length to achieve highest performance standards by continuously improving himself through education. Even my friends are aware of my passion for learning and claim they can sense my excitement at the prospect of learning about a new mathematical or scientific concept.