Failure: The Backstage Pass to Success

From childhood, I have been an eternal optimist. I never give up, always giving my best shot with 100% of what I can do.

As a child, I once tried building a sandcastle so grand that it could rival the pyramids. But the waves had other plans. Each time I built, they crushed it mercilessly. Frustrated, I turned to my aunt and asked why life was so unfair. She smiled and said, “The ocean isn’t against you; it’s just making sure you learn how to build better.”

Years later, I faced failures that weren’t made of sand—flunked tests, job rejections, and moments of self-doubt. Each time, I felt like that little girl on the beach, watching her castle crumble. But with time, I realized—failure isn’t an end; it’s life nudging you toward a better blueprint.

Many times, I have felt like I’ve failed as a mother—when my kids refuse to listen, misbehave, or seem to have selective hearing when I teach them good values. I know many mothers can relate. There have been guilt trips about being a career mom, questioning whether I’m doing enough. But every time I feel like I’m sinking, I remind myself to pray, to hope, and to trust that things will get better. And they always do.

Steve Jobs once said, “I’m convinced that about half of what separates successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.” I took his words to heart. Instead of sulking, I started learning. Every failure became a free (and often painful) masterclass in resilience.

J.K. Rowling was rejected 12 times before Harry Potter saw daylight. Walt Disney was fired for “lacking imagination.” Even Einstein was once labeled “slow.” Imagine if they had given up—we’d have no magic, no Mickey, and possibly no E=mc².

So next time you feel like you’ve failed, smile. You’re just collecting backstage passes to success.

Thought to Ponder: “What if your biggest failure is actually a plot twist leading to your best chapter yet?”