Coming to terms with failure

David+Rutledge%2C+Media+Editor

David Rutledge, Media Editor

Failure…this is not something most of us are comfortable talking about. You probably won’t go to a party and discuss your most recent failure. Unfortunately, I have begun to discover that failure in life is unavoidable. Some of you might have already had to deal with rejection, being uninvited, unapproved, and walking in obscurity. Some of you might be there right now, and how do you deal with that?  

From an early age, we are taught that failure means not passing a class, or being held back in school, or not being accepted in any social cliques. These failures aren’t positive, and their consequences are unwarranted. As a society we are afraid of failure. In some cases, it is good to be aware of our limitations and weaknesses, but ultimately this fear can isolate us and actually prevent us from trying something new or taking a risk. Bottom line, we are afraid to fail. 

As a senior, I can look back at my college experience and see this pattern in my own life. I will graduate in December of this year upon completion of the biggest project I have ever worked on in my life. As an art major we all have to complete the infamous capstone (aka senior art show). This challenge in front of me has haunted me for the past year. I was petrified by the idea of not being able to complete the capstone and being unable to graduate.  Or that I was inadequate and could only make second-rate artwork.  It wasn’t until I actually got it in my head that failure was an option that I could actually be liberated to take the risk and make the artwork that I wanted to create. 

I will leave you with this quote from my favorite author, J.K. Rowing, “It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.”

This thing called life is not a dress rehearsal for the real thing, so start living it today.