Perspective on Failures

“Try and fail, but never fail to try.”
Jared Leto

Life is hard.  Especially when things do not go our way or turnout how we had hoped or wanted.  So what are we to do?  Should we give up and give in—allowing depression and failures to seep in to our precious minds?  Do we stop trying hoping that this will somehow resolve the pain and hurt we feel?  Unfortunately many of us do this and we end up living a life well below our potential. 

Life hurts and the pain of failures is real.  Recently I’ve had several setbacks and unexpected failures in my life and it hurts and is hard.  Like most of us, I am someone who hates to fail and hates not to win and succeed.  So what are we to do? 

Have Perspective.

What I can say is that I believe these failures and setbacks will somehow be a good thing.  I’m not sure how and I am not sure why but I trust they are preparing me for something good, something big, something that will help me.  These failures are changing me and are making me more humble whether I want it or not.  They’ve also given me an opportunity to reflect on my mistakes and consider things I can and should do differently in the future to avoid future failures.  They are a teacher of sorts and I am trying to learn all that I can so that I can avoid the disappointment and pain in the future. 

The good news is, things can always be worse.  Though these recent failures in my life are difficult, thankfully they are not catastrophic or life-threatening.  So hopefully they will prepare me and help me to avoid such failures. 

And the other thing I can say is I’m not disappointed I tried.  In retrospect, yes I should have done things differently, handle some things better, and been smarter but hind sight is 20/20 and there is little I can do to change the past.  All I can control is right now and what is in front of me and through it all I have learned to be better. 

So are my failures in life over? No.  Will the pain soon end? I’m not sure but probably in time.  And with that being said I will continue to try.  I will try and try again.  I will hold my head up high with the resolve that I will not succumb to depression, anxiety, or apathy.  I did not give up and give in nor will I.  Life will have its blows but I will always get up and try again.