Most of the time, we need to fight our own battles. Perhaps people are there to support and guide you, but they can't always give you what you really need; only you know yourself and what you really feel. I have had my fair share of failures and, fearful of being a disappointment and a burden, I didn't seek help from friends and family. After feeling sorry for myself for a while, something dawned on me; just because I failed at something doesn't mean that I'm going to fail my future success. Looking back at my past actions and what I thought; I wish I told myself that it was okay to fail or make a mistake and that seeking help from others would not make me appear bothersome. The fight is not over, but I also cannot fight it alone.

“The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.”
― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

After a year of college, I have learned about myself and how I can cope with my failures. By accepting the way that I am, I just need to keep pushing for success. I have goals and dreams to pursue, and I won't let my failures get in the way. Being comfortable with yourself crucial. In college, being on my own has blessed me with the significance of responsibility. With that responsibility, I had to have faith in myself. At first, it was hard to find this faith; but after a rocky journey, with some mistakes and failure, I have embraced my flaws and my insecurities. And suddenly I was at peace.

There is an idea I have about a staircase that everybody walks up. We all take different lengths of steps when we want to reach our end goal; all that matters is to reach the end, no matter how many steps you skip, or how difficult the walk up may be. The steps are the stuggles that you face in order to reach the end goal, which is at the top of the stairway. You can take two steps at a time or just move a couple of inches on the step you are standing on. A hand may reach out to you, to pull you up when you slip and fall down a few steps, or even all the way down to the bottom. But the support is there when you need it; the helping hand is your family or close friends. Just by moving forward, you will eventually accomplish your dream. The fear of failure won't push you forward, but rather makes the dream you have impossible to achieve. Wherever you find yourself, it can only go up from there, no matter how many steps it may take.