A common fear students have is failing. They fear they won’t pass the test they studied all night for, or they won’t get that special spot on their sports team. However, failing is a part of life and it is how we learn and grow. Without failure, succeeding wouldn’t feel as good as it does. 

Everyone has heard the phrase “no one is perfect.” This is very true because if everyone was perfect, the world would look very different. There wouldn’t be competition in the work and school environment and people wouldn’t care as much about the things they are passionate about. Most people that look like they never have an obstacle to overcome probably have had to overcome several. They have learned from their mistakes. Failure is all about perseverance, which starts at a very young age. For example, when a baby is learning to walk, they’re going to fall a lot, but they never give up. They keep trying and trying and eventually they are able to run, jump and so on, all because they never stopped trying to walk. 

Failing is only temporary. Many people believe that a bump in the road is the end of it; but use a different point of view, look at it as a way to learn or a way to work harder. Thomas Edison is a perfect example of this.

 “I have not failed, I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work,” Edison said. Edison invented the lightbulb and throughout his journey he had to constantly rethink his plan or use a different method. He never gave up and he eventually accomplished his goal. Edison didn’t look at failure as a bad thing, he looked at it as a chance to learn. 

In the education system, many students are afraid to get a bad grade on a test. Every student should strive for success on their exams and should always give their best effort, but when does the stress become unhealthy? Students should not isolate themselves and their lives to study for a perfect grade on a test. Sometimes, this might work students up even more and fluster them the day of the test. They should learn to balance a healthy lifestyle of studying  and social interaction. 

However, failing at something is part of reality. We must face the truth and move on. Ask yourself, “what can I do better next time?” Your life is not over if you fail, and you should never limit yourself because you’re scared—that will only hold you back. Taking an opportunity might open up numerous doors and lead to more opportunities, or it might show you that this isn’t the right path for you, and that is okay because you learned something. 

Failure is not always a bad thing, but a  way to help you learn, and to help you succeed later down the road. Changing one’s mindset on failure can really have an impact on future life obstacles, and can help one overcome them. Failure is only a way to learn and to keep moving forward.