Learning how to Fail by Emily

Learning how to Fail by Emily - August 2013 Scholarship Essay

The most important thing about failing is what it teaches you. Ever since I was a little girl, my mother always told me I would be successful at whatever I put my mind to. I had dreams of a life filled with success, happiness and prosperity. The stigma of the word "failure" was a word I was scared of. It was a word with many negative connotations. Nobody wants to fail- but what I did not realize was what failure could teach me.  Society is brought up learning how to succeed. We are influenced by books, articles and even speeches about success. But what about failure? Who teaches you how to fail successfully? Throughout my undergraduate studies I was a four year student-athlete at Georgia State University. Softball was my way of life, my outlet, and something I exceled at. Being a part of a Division I Softball team was a full time, demanding class. In my eyes, failing meant striking out, dropping a fly ball, or losing. Transitioning into the collegiate level of athletics was very difficult for me. I was not used to sitting on the bench because I wasn’t the best player on the team. I developed a selfish attitude and because of this, had a hard time supporting my team even though we were winning. After many tears and continuous frustration I had an epiphany. I was failing, and it was okay. I discovered the power of positive self-talk and started visualizing. At night, I closed my eyes and imagined where I wanted to be in ten years. There was no softball field in my vision. I wanted to become a Speech-Language Pathologist. Why am I experiencing so much rejection, I asked? Because you have to learn how to fail in order to succeed.
Being a member of the Georgia State University Softball team was a “class” that changed my life forever. My teacher was my coach and I am grateful for the life lessons he taught me. I learned how to fail successfully and because of him, after many rejections, I am now pursuing my Master’s degree in the field of Speech-Language Pathology at Nova Southeastern University.