Most of my generation has at least a handful of rosy childhood memories filled with trophies, A+ grades, blue ribbons, and certificates that we, perhaps, did not fully earn. Us millennials have been mocked as the participation trophy generation. Whether or not there is any merit to the accusations of entitlement among Gen Y is up for debate. Regardless of whether or not we were coddled as youngsters, adulthood will not fail to bring down a hard slap of reality:

You won’t get credit just for showing up.

You’ll mess up in massive ways. Things will blow up in your face and give you some killer whiplash. You’ll break hearts, and you’ll be heartbroken. You’ll try something, and be objectively horrible at it.

Instead of a shiny blue ribbon, you’ll get fired, shunned, or broken up with. You’ll lose money on endeavors you swore were worth it. You will slam against that cold, lonely rock bottom like an avalanche. Reeling from the impact, you’ll wonder where you possibly go from here.

Whether or not you have a college diploma will not protect you from these experiences.

Our successes do not save us from failure; they are separate, equally important pieces of who we are. You will continue to experience a healthy helping of each as your grow and evolve.

The great thing is, you get to try again tomorrow. No, you might not get that job, that person or that exact same opportunity back in your life. But now that you’ve eliminated some wrong options, you’ll be all that much closer to finding the right path for your happiness.

If we are not able to face our failures, then we are doomed to repeat the same arguments, relive the same broken relationships and fall short of the same performance standards over and over again. Failure might not be the kindest teacher, but it is an incredibly effective one. All anyone can do in response is to be a patient and dedicated student.