Famous Failures

 

Video credit: BluefishTV

I feel comfortable sharing this with you guys -- I have been on two job interviews now, and have yet to hear any word back from either.

As a college student, it is easy for me to equate my worth to my collegiate accolades. Four years of rigorous work and commitment are now all reduced to one piece of paper, and I find it challenging to separate myself from my resume. Rejection if a tough pill to swallow, especially when so much of your self-worth is tied up in your achievements.

But I am not my GPA.

There are so many brilliant pieces of me that cannot be confined on a piece of paper. A resume can never reflect my sensitivity to all living creatures, or my deep empathy to the people around me. A resume will never show the tenacity of my spirit, or my determination for perfection.

My story could never be condensed to a piece of paper. When I am rejected for a position, it does not make me a failure. The only person with the ability to make me a failure is the person in the mirror, and the only person I can compare myself to is the person I was yesterday.

It's okay to break down and to be disappointed. I am human, and part of being human is opening myself up to heartbreak. But I cannot unpack and live there. If Britney can get through 2007, I can get through this job search.

I love this video from BluefishTV because it reminds me that failures are not fatal!

One of the most important lessons I have learned is that everything is an opportunity to grow. When we succeed, we should say thank you and celebrate. And when we fail, we should say thank you and grow.

And if you learn from it, it's not a failure at all.