This summer, I had quite the opportunity as a college student. I took a job working with a celebrity businesswoman to do marketing for her new startup. Not only was the job going to be fun, but it was only going to build to bigger and brighter job opportunities in the future.

Except for one thing...the exact opposite happened. Almost everything I did in the job turned out poorly. I gave a terrible impression of myself and unintentionally worked in every flaw of my character. No matter how much I tried to fix things, nothing seemed to make the situation better.

It certainly wasn't the "fairytale story" I had in mind.

After talking with friends and family though, you realize something. It isn't THAT bad. Yes, it sucks that I blew a perfectly good work opportunity. But, if I were to look 20 years down the road, this failure would only be a small moment in my life. Because see...

You Don't Really Know Anything Anyways.

Something that can plague fresh college students in the workforce is cockiness. You've spent 4 or more years studying hard and keeping up with trends and current lessons. You may have even been the star student in your college while also loving what you study. This early success can easily become a thorn in your side though. “In college, I did this and THIS and I did super well! I definitely think I can handle it and I know all the answers.”

No, you don’t. You’ve simply received a taste of everything that has to do with your field of study. My advise? Shut up and learn some humility. Getting yourself in the mentality to always learn and grow will keep you from losing great job opportunities (like mine this summer).

Your Whole Life is Ahead of You.

I’m 21 years old right now. I don’t have a lease to keep up with. I don’t have a girlfriend. Heck, I don’t even have a credit card yet. I have nothing to lose. Right now, this is the perfect time for me to take chances and get risky with opportunities. Who knows where I’ll end up in 20, 10, 5, or 2 years from now? So if you are in the same situation, please know that your life won’t fall apart when something goes wrong.

Failure is Sometimes the Best Teacher.

That being said, I still bombed a perfectly good opportunity. I can’t ignore the fact that I have issues with my work attitude and my arrogance. I need to learn humility. I now realize these deep flaws in my character because I failed. If I were to succeed through this summer, I might have only prolonged the growing pains -- to a time when I do have a wife and children and mortgage to worry about.

This is why there’s value in screwing up when you’re young. You have a whole life ahead of you with big dreams and visions waiting to be realized. Without these failures and life lessons, you wouldn’t have the tools and head knowledge to achieve your dreams. And if you don’t take it from me, take it from these very successful people. You’re welcome.

“Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” - Denis Waitley

“It’s failure that gives you the proper perspective on success.” - Ellen DeGeneres

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” - Thomas A. Edison

“What is the point of being alive if you don’t at least try to do something remarkable?” – John Green

"Guys, we gunna make it alright?" - Bruno Teles