Many a times we consider the opposite of success to be FAILURE. But what actually is failure? According to Oxford Advanced American Dictionary, failure is defined as the “lack of success in doing or achieving something”. But, does it really mean that if you are not successful, you have failed? The next few paragraphs will enlighten you.

Lets say Mr. X is a university student, working towards a degree in ABC and is almost completing his undergraduate studies. To be qualified for the degree, Mr. X has to pass a certain examination. He had worked very hard for this examination but found out that, even after many attempts, he failed and his 4 years at university have just been wasted. Mr. X did not only fail his examination, but he also failed to pursue the career he desired the most. Now, one would classify this short story as an example of failure. But is Mr. X really a failure? Let’s get deeper and analyse this short story.

In the 4 years at university, Mr. X may have gone through life-changing experiences and developed crucial life skills that he would not have gotten if he did not spend those 4 years at that particular university, studying the ABC degree. Using these experiences and skills, he could perform much better in another field pursuing a completely different career. Mr. X may have been better off doing something else other than using the ABC degree. This is not failure.

The main reason why we classify success and failure is that we have been so comfortable with comparing ourselves with people pursuing the same careers, people similar to us or even with people in our community. We keep running after that “success” that we forget that what matters the most, is not the ultimate goal, but it is the process that is very crucial. Someone could be the smartest person in the room, but would not have the skills and experiences that a “not-so-smart person” would carry. 

So, do not be afraid of “failure” but rather always seek for growth and to improve yourself. Trust the process, and you will achieve what you deserve.