This concept is often very difficult for us, and especially for our parents, to understand. We live in a society that tells us failure is unacceptable, but no one mentions that occasionally failure is good for us. It can be humbling and remind us of our need for a Savior.

As finals come to an end, many of you are probably considering parking in the wrong lot to get a ticket which will put a hold on your account and ultimately give you a few weeks to muster up the guts to tell your folks that you did not do so well in college algebra this semester (I actually considered this strategy upon the completion of my college algebra final). The fear of failure is totally normal and even though we don’t always think so, the failure itself is pretty normal as well.

For me, my fear of failure directly comes from my fear of disappointing others. Coming from someone who has, for the most part, always stayed out of trouble and done well in school, my parents have grown to expect a lot from me; they know what I am capable of and become upset when I fail to meet their expectations (and rightfully so). But my parents have never had to pass a math course with the mind of an English major. Math and me… we have this connection where it flies right over my head and I never understand a bit of it. This semester was a rough one to say the least. The only thing that kept me from giving up was my fathers “I am very disappointed in you young lady” look. I have not seen it often, but it is unforgettable. About half way through this semester, I became very frustrated with myself and I started feeling very defeated by school (which is strange for me because I have always really enjoyed school). Soon after this feeling struck me, I came across a wonderful quote on a friends social media account that read, “Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.” Winston Churchill provided me with this wonderful reminder that made me press on and refuse to give up.

First of all, failure is inevitable. And that is absolutely okay! Think of the first time, as a baby, you tried to stand up and walk. You stumbled and you fell. You failed. But look at you now, walking around like a boss! I think about the first time I tried to do my own make up and laugh because the only thing I achieved was the “circus clown look” which was most definitely a fail and now I can contour and cat eye like it’s going out of style. Things take time and practice, but if something is worth having no obstacle is too large to stand in your way. This was a beautiful thing for me to understand. College Algebra was an obstacle in my college career (and I am positive that there will be a few more to come) but walking across a stage in Murphy Center and having a diploma is important to me, so I will have to overcome those obstacles somehow.

Second of all, failure is incredibly humbling. I was doing great in college my first two semesters and I began to slack off because I thought that I could. I went from pulling all nighters to just studying until I felt tired and then going to sleep (which amounted to… not very much studying). Then I got my midterm grade back and everything changed. I had experienced what it felt like to fail and I did not like it. I quickly fixed my bad habits and realized that if I didn’t get my act together I might ACTUALLY fail. As hard as it was for me to understand this then, I think seeing an F on my progress report was just the smack in the face I needed in order to get my school work together. And even though I passed the class (barely) it was still a good lesson.

Thirdly, perfection is unattainable. It’s impossible to be great at everything. I would say I am a pretty decent writer, but I am obviously horrible at math. Maybe you are the exact opposite. Maybe you can sing like Adele but you cannot draw a stick figure or whatever the case. God gave us all gifts and no two are exactly the same. I find great peace in knowing that God knew I was going to be very weak in some areas but very strong in others.

Maybe your obstacle or failure isn’t college algebra or a pesky break up (those just happen to be a few of mine) but I promise if you see it through and overcome what you think you cannot, the feeling of satisfaction is absolutely incredible. God knows your heart and he knows that you can accomplish whatever feels impossible to you right now.

Fail once or fifty times (hopefully just once if you are paying for the course) but just remember, it is the courage to continue that counts!