For as long as I can remember, being in school and doing everyday tasks, I started to learn what it was like to succeed, but also to fail. I was always one who was concerned about my grades and accomplishments... But now that I have gotten older, I have realized that failing is much more than a math test in life.

In middle school and in high school, I was always so concerned about doing good on tests, projects, and succeeding in sports, as one should be at that age. All of those things seemed so important at the time, and they were, but nothing compared to what was to come after those years.

As soon as I got into college, the tests were harder, the studying was more frequent, and every day was more stressful. I quickly learned that failing tests was the absolute least of my worries, and it was terrifying! I started doing everyday life things wrong, and I would get so beyond frustrated that I became physically and mentally exhausted.

Nobody is perfect, that is true, and so I eventually learned that my failures turned into my successes. Doesn't make a lot of sense right? How can failing turn into success? In order to make myself realize this, I literally sat and thought for a while about the past year or so and all the painful and stressful things that had happened, and then I thought of all the amazing things that had happened... Basically, I made a list in my head, and the good definitely outweighed the bad.

All of the setbacks I had, never actually set me back because who said there is a time limit or age on when you should have this or that accomplished? Nobody but you should be setting your own time limits. We live in a society that believes in everything having to be done ASAP, and that is just a clustered and stressful life.

I learned I didn't want to live like that because I was tired of being disappointed in myself. The most valuable thing I learned was that the ONLY way to actually fail, is to give up altogether, and I never did.

My "failures" have been a temporary bump in the road, but did that mean the road was ending? Absolutely not... I just meant I needed to slow down and enjoy my life at the same time. I think it is so sad for someone to truly believe they are a failure, or not smart enough, and that's because in our world today we set standards for what people think should be done at certain ages, but that doesn't mean that's how it has to be done.

We all live completely different lives, no two the same. So why should we all be expected to succeed and accomplish things at the same pace? Just because you finish the same degree as someone and you're ten years older than them, doesn't make that degree any less of an accomplishment.

Be proud of yourself, even when you hit bumps in the road. Make sure you pass over those bumps and don't turn around, because you will never fail if you don't give up. As Thomas Edison himself said, "I have not failed, I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."

Always get back up.