January 7, 2023

Failure as a Path Toward Success

When I was in 2nd grade, my parents signed me up for a rec basketball team. I was playing on a team with a group of older girls from my neighborhood, and as it was my first time playing basketball, I was absolutely terrible. I felt out of place around the older girls, was embarrassed by my lack of skill, and just overall did not enjoy my basketball debut. I quit at the end of the season.
At an early age, I had already developed a tendency to avoid things that I decided I was not “good” at or that made me uncomfortable. To this day, the thought of starting something and not being able to perform to the level at which I expect of myself is terrifying.

Today, a quote from one of the videos we watched in lecture stuck out to me: “Others are waiting for the finish line to magically appear at the start line,” which got me thinking, what do I gain by waiting around too? I wasn’t going to become Michael Jordan at the age of 8, and I’m not going to solve every issue in India at the age of 22.

The prospect of failure should not be a reason to shy away from new things, but should instead be a reason to charge ahead. For what seems like the first time, I am excited to fail at something. Whether it’s brainstorming ideas, prototyping, or playing basketball, failure is a key part of the path toward success. Each time I fail, I may unknowingly be getting closer and closer to an outcome that I will be proud of. If I can allow myself to have a little bit more courage, patience, and grace with myself during my time here in Bangalore, I know that I will be able to maximize my learning and make the most out of my experience. Being comfortable with failure is just one step in the right direction.