If You Want To Be Happier, Allow Yourself To Fail
I chased perfection for 10 years, it was hell on Earth
Happiness is a concept open to misconceptions. A lot of people confuse happiness with owning a home in Beverly Hills, driving a Mercedes, and being the best version of yourself from the way you articulate your tongue to the way that you sit. We think that we can be truly happy when we achieve our goals.
At times, you are so focused on being someone that you forget to breathe. Now come on, let those shoulders relax; you’re already perfect.
Often, I have to remind myself that in a state of perfection we do not learn. We only learn through failure, we grow through failure and we flourish through failure.
So why are we so afraid of failure?
I Failed Nine Times, I Got Up Ten
During my second semester of college, I was determined to get straight A’s; I wanted to have the perfect grades. I mean, who wants C’s? Ew. I worked hard, abandoned friends, social media, and my family. I was so focused on the school work that I forgot about myself.
We have all been there, we have all received a C at some point in life.
When the end of the Fall semester came, I saw a C scribbled on my transcript. I had earned a C for Calculus.
Stop looking for happiness in the same place you lost it
— Unknown
Now, what does this come to show?
It shows that it’s okay to fail, just because you fucked up does not mean that all your work went down the drain. You obtain a lesson — next time, you know what to do.
Little did I know, that the C I received made me happier. It came to show that I don’t have to stress myself to get good grades, I just have to give it my best shot.
Even The Greatest Fail
The people that you admire the most failed at some point in their life, no one is perfect. In life, success is not linear.
- Oprah’s first television show failed.
- Bill Gates gave way for Google to create Android
- Jeff Bezos failed at the Amazon Fire Phone, a $170 million loss.
These are just some examples, remember that we are humans. One day we can be at the top of success and other days we can be at the bottom.
Nothing lasts forever.
If you are in a bad situation, there will be a breakthrough. This is a journey, not a race.
Two Ways That We Can Use Failure To Be Happy
- Failure is a sign that you are working
If you are not failing, you are not working hard enough. In everything that we do, we face obstacles. Even if it is school, business, or life in general, failure is in everything that we do.
The more that you fear the more likely it will impact you. When you are not afraid to fail, you are no longer emotionally attached to the suffering that it inflicts.
2. You have new opportunities
Failure provides you with new opportunities, you have a chance to rework something in a manner that you did not see possible.
In a manner, failure provides you with critical thinking skills. It allows you to develop yourself to overcome obstacles and prevent future mistakes. You become more aware of who you are, your qualities, skills, and the environment around you.
To become who we are, we need failure. Smile in the face of failure because you have been provided a moment to do things differently.
Last Words
Failure doesn’t have to be a bad thing and it should not be associated with who you are. A Failure is an event, you are not.
Remember to enjoy the moment and be glad for the times that you have failed because it has shaped the person that you have become. Think of what life would be like if you never failed?
Think about never failing and suddenly one day, you face failure. Would you be prepared?