Failure

Failure

Let's talk about failure for a second. 

As a new teacher I have come to realize that the generation we are raising is terrified of failure. They have been trained and have been told they are great at everything! Newsflash: This is what happens when we give medals and ribbons for participation, a job well done at less than stellar performances. 

We have grown these egotistical, my way or the highway know it alls who cannot deal with the defeat of failing! They have no coping skills other than the whole "squeaky wheel gets the grease" mentality, which, works some of the time. They have really skipped over the hard work reaps rewards lesson because mediocre work won them praises so hard work? What's that? Complaining seems to fix many things in their life if the majority also has the same complaint. Otherwise they settle into this complacency of "I will do what I have to to just get by" attitude and it's quite frankly, irritating. Lack luster. Boring.

As a teacher, I now have to pay attention to detail. Details really skipped passed me up until the precise age of 29. Then, it started to become all in the details. When I ask for something with precise, can't fuck them up directions, somehow, someone will purposely disregard my instructions and boom - fail. This tends to be a hard pill to swallow in Room 140 but it's reality. If you don't precisely do what you are told, repeatedly, you deserve to fail. Cardiologists don't get second chances. Neurosurgeons don't get second chances. They don't get a pat on the back for opening the skull and performing the skill to have the patient die. "Hey, you executed that incision with such precision, nice work, your patient flat lined 2 hours later. But those lines though.... nice" 

Welcome to the real world. Failure just might be the best teacher you have ever had. 

We have all heard of the Michael Jordan quote about missed shots in hoops and blah blah blah... I think every single mentor you have has some grade story about how failure taught them the best thing they ever knew. I think failing at something does more for someone's future than actual success. Hear me out... 

If you are good at everything, what is your passion? What can't you go one moment without thinking, doing, performing, seeing, working on? At any one of those moments you may be doing something that you are good at but are you truly passionate about them? Who knows!? It doesn't matter. It pays the bills and you are good at it. Keep up the good work (hand over participation ribbon and thumbs up!) But, if I were to switch up the sentence and ask you what is something you never, ever want to do in your life again, I would be willing to bet more than half of the responses will be precisely answered because you failed at the original task. For instance, someone could say they would NEVER EVER want to be a chef because they can't cook. Sounds legit. I never want to be a pharmacist because I failed organic chemistry. Amanda never wants to be an accountant because she is dyslexic and all the numbers mix up together. This are all very hard lessons to learn and they stem from FAILURE. 

It is better to know early on that you are not good at something, that this sport, this subject, this career path isn't for you. At 16 knowing that you suck at spelling is a better dose of reality than spelling a word wrong in some formal documentation and getting chewed out by your boss and potentially getting fired because of it. Learning now that Medical Terminology isn't your subject in high school is way better than blowing $1,900 in college on a 3 credit course as a prereq for something that won't make you happy in the long run. 

Failure isn't bad! We shouldn't be teaching our kids to be afraid of it. Failing at something is a natural right of passage and if you are egotistical enough to tell me you haven't failed at anything, holler atcha girl and I will hurt your feelings. I am so happy and thankful for the relationships that have failed, the courses I have failed, the tasks I have failed. Now I don't have to waste my time on mediocre things. I can focus my attention on the stuff that matters. The stuff that makes my heart sing, the stuff I am passionate about. 

That folks, that's what it's about. You have to fail at something to find your. some. thing.