Failure is scary. The idea of not being successful can cloud and influence our life decisions. I’m guilty of it. I’m pretty sure most of you are guilty of it. It’s human. Yet, as I’ve learned in the past few months, we need to embrace it.

Recently, I’ve been navigating the college application process. It’s pretty scary if I’m being honest, but it’s exciting as well. I’ve had countless discussions with my parents on my worries and doubts about whether I’ll be successful or not. It’s almost like we’ve been having the same conversation all summer. Sorry guys.

Through all of this, I’ve learned one thing. Failure isn’t the end. It’s actually part of the journey as my dad says. No one can go through life without failing. It’s impossible. Literally. Failure is natural and we need to learn to embrace it.

I’m going to call myself a hypocrite here for a second. Last year, around this time, I began writing my first essay for my AP Language and Composition class. I chose to write about competition and how failure is better than winning. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to piece together the perfect essay, wanting to prove my point. In the end, I didn’t do as well as I wanted. In fact, I was pretty embarrassed about my grade. Looking back, I realize I didn’t do well because I didn’t believe in what I was writing. I don’t know about y’all, but it’s hard for me to write about things I don’t 100% believe in. It’s a waste of time. Period.

While I can go into a whole different rant about acting on what you believe, I’ll save that for another post. Moral of that story, I wouldn’t have been able to realize my mistake without having failed in the first place. Failure is motivation. When someone says no, yes, it may feel like a door slam in the face, but you have the ability to break that door down.

Be persistent. Keep trying. Don’t fear the unknown. Embrace it. And most importantly…

Trust the process.