Opinion

Success and failure: Essential lessons for today’s youth

DR NISMA HARRIS
 
DR NISMA HARRIS
Just as pivotal it is staying determined to achieve something and succeed in life, accepting that rejections and failures are inevitable is equally essential.

While we propel our kids so much to keep hustling and be on track towards their goals, assuring them that they can witness multiple failures and it is absolutely okay as like success too, failures are an indispensable part and parcel of life.

Nevertheless, they keep the tremendous ability to condition your kids’ lives; depending on how they learn to take them in their stride.

Our contemporary generation is thriving in a world of social media where getting swayed by someone’s overnight social media stardom is blurring the path for our kids, and they need to understand that the path to success is never linear. It is full of unsatisfactory results, hearing countless ‘no’ from people around, or handling malicious or toxic people on the way.

We must let them comprehend that success is a constant trial and error process that goes through multiple failures and rejections; instead of collapsing at the very sense of tasting failure, they learn to stand up and square up things correctly. Let not anyone’s undue success quiver their determination and shun their personality.

There are some hardcore facts our kids need to understand. Everyone cannot come out a winner in the same race despite having the equivalent talent and effort put in.

All the students appearing for the one competitive exam cannot qualify for a fixed number of seats. The same goes for jobs and other occupancy.

Our kids need to identify their abilities and recognise their inner calling. We as guardians need to be with them instead of pushing them to be a part of a rat race where failure and the doom it brings becomes unavoidable.

However, the world is full of endless opportunities and countless options. In other words, every sane person carries the potential to create for himself or herself. The issue is we explore petite inside and outside us and then in a limited pool we envision the options as cut-throat.

Hence, the pressure keeps piling up and eventually takes the form of rejections and failures. Imagine running a race or even walking up a path no one ever took before, you are certain to win and leave behind a trail for others to follow and inspire.

Yes, but the condition is consistency, having faith in yourself, and constantly honing your skills. Equally important is analysing what led to failure or rejection. Sometimes, amendments or improvisations need to be made rather than giving up entirely. You cannot inept anything new before a few failed attempts and that is a guaranteed sign to your success in the future.

All that being said, I am nowhere fantasising failure. One shouldn't be too casual towards his or her goals on the pretext that even if he or she fails it will be fine. That way, you are restricting yourself from giving in your hundred percent or your best.

What I am trying to put up is after putting all your efforts and energy if you or your kid is unable to achieve let it be. No one ever loves to fail, but accepting it as an inevitable part will resolve the complexities and help to regain the lost focus.

Because like success too, failure has a period. You cannot be an all-domain winner and an all-domain loser. Success and failure are both like the ocean water currents that keep circulating to keep the momentum and environment of the earth in place. Likewise, one’s life also circulates through multiple failures, rejections, and successes to keep our life’s system in check.

As it is wisely said, you cannot value the taste of food if you haven’t tasted hunger. Likewise, success tastes true after encountering failures and rejections.