A few weeks ago, I had an interesting conversation with some friends regarding social media and accomplishments. One of my friends reminded me of something I knew to be true but had forgotten, that people only want to post about their successes on social media. No one wants to gush about how they failed or how they didn't get something they desperately wanted. Yesterday, I got some pretty disappointing news and today I decided to share it.

After weeks of researching and recruitment events, I thought I had finally narrowed down the list of companies I wanted to intern for. Throughout the search, there were two favorites. Instead of focusing on the good news from one, I will focus on the bad news for the purposes of this story.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed by the fact that I didn't get an interview, but I would also be lying if I said that I was still upset about it. I did everything I could. I put on my best face, researched for hours, attended almost every event I could and talked anyone that would listen. I have absolutely no regrets and to be honest every person I talked to was genuine, friendly and eager to answer my questions. In hindsight, I am grateful for this opportunity because I am able to grow from it and get back up to keep on with my hard work.

Sometimes, we want things so much we forget that maybe they aren't meant for us. We get so caught up in the people or the brand or the money that we forget that maybe, just maybe, there is something better for us out there. We don't like to talk about our failures or the things we don't get because we're afraid we might look weak or whiny or any other negative characteristic. In reality, these are the things we need to share with others because great leaders were not always successful the first time around. Bill Gates's first company was Traf-O-Data which was unsuccessful, but he persisted and his passion for computers led him to start Microsoft. Oprah Winfrey was fired from her first job as an anchor and now she is a leader in talk shows. One of the greatest leaders of our time, Abraham Lincoln, failed multiple times in both his military and political career before successfully becoming President of the United States.

Our failures make us who we are because they teach us something about who we are as people and/or about who we want to be as professionals. Don't be afraid to fail because without failure there is no success. Don't be afraid to start a conversation about failure, because we've all been there and this is how we can grow together. Leadership is about what you can do for others and the value you can bring others. This is why I challenge you to not be afraid of failure because by doing so you show the people around you that success is not an easy hike, but rather a very steep climb. Success comes with hard work and trust and perseverance.