Opinion

Failure: Do you see it as a new opportunity?

By Saswati Kar

Posted on July 3, 2016

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A few weeks back, when the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) results were out and the success story of a young Delhi girl was out in various media, there were several responses to it.

Millions of people started congratulating and her success was passionately discussed by anyone and everyone who had some interest in the results.

In fact, all the successful candidates must have been congratulated by many after the results were out.

But, all of them may not be experiencing the joy of success equally.

While some must have been happy with their ranks, there would be few others feeling low for not getting their desired services due to lower ranks and contemplating to reappear next year.

Few would have reconciled and accepted their fate and would have moved on to go with what came their way even if that meant little unhappiness.

So the point is, even the successful candidates were not in the same frame of mind after the results were out.

It means, what looks like success to others, actually may not mean so to the concerned individuals who were looking at it from their own perspective that could be entirely different.

Now, let’s come to those who were confident to clear it and couldn’t make it.

The response of each one must have been different. Hard work, perseverance, knowledge, aptitude and ability were present almost on a par with those who succeeded.

At times the ones who didn’t succeed were found to be far more brilliant than those who succeeded. We have many examples with us of many such people amongst us.

But the point I want to make here is, how many people gracefully accept the failure and use it as an opportunity to explore new avenues?

How many can wipe away the emotions of the experience associated with a failure completely and start afresh for another trial?

Accepting a failure is the key to move on gracefully. But, accepting the failure doesn’t mean that one resigns or becomes complacent.

It only means that one reflects on the situation as an observer and takes a call that is most appropriate.

Whether one wants to chart out for a new journey or to gather oneself for another chance, the mindset has to be a boxer who bounces back after receiving heavy blows.

Life may throw at us different challenges and difficulties. Not succeeding in one thing, doesn’t mean one is doomed.

It just means that one needs to explore another field.

Renowned career theorist John Krumboltz very emphatically says that people who are able to accept sudden changes in life events, readily agree to explore new fields, face obstacles with a positive outlook, and are optimistic to maximise from an unplanned and unexpected event have a great capability to change serendipity into an opportunity.

The only question here is, do you have the ability to look at failure as serendipitous event?

Can you see the apparent failure as a pleasant chance to rediscover yourself? If you can do that, nothing can stop you from achieving greater success in life.

Go ahead and give failure a tough fight and write your own story of victory and success.

(Saswati Kar is a soft-skill and life-skill trainer and social activist)