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| Source: beinspiredchannel |
If you have been following the blog, you might have noticed that
this is the first time I’ve posted. Unlike my friends who are also contributors
to this blog, I had to extend my studies for a year to make up for my failed
exam in year 3. But at last, I too have graduated and is in the transition from
study to work. It was no easy road but I made it through medical school.
What is failure?
Failure is itself an objective but also overwhelmingly
subjective entity. Confined by social norms and expectations, you have failed
when you did not pass the exam; failed when you could/did not perform as
expected. But failure is so much more to the beholden.
The medical field is a highly competitive playground and you
could feel it even as a medical student. Only the best of the best from around
the country makes it in the field which asks for more than mere academic
excellence but also perfection in communication and skill. Failure is almost a
statistical fact and is more of a question of when rather than if.
However, how you view and manage failure is all in your
hands. Here are a few ways I have come to see failure.
1.
A wake-up call
Throughout my life as a student up to this point, I have not
had any major setbacks in my academic journey just as many of you studying medicine.
In a way, life was in my eyes a calm peaceful lake but in reality a stormy sea with
no way around it. Something bad is bound to happen and you will have to embrace
it whether you like it or not. In the days following my failed year, failure felt
less like distant thunder and more like an aneurysm waiting to pop.
With that in mind, potential for failures become entwined in
my plans for the future, making it a staple of life. And hopefully when it
comes, I would be ready.
2.
A different perspective
It is easy to see failure in a negative light and beat yourself
over it especially when frowned upon by people around you. We tend to avoid it
at all cost, hoping it would not happen again.
Right after receiving the results that was exactly what had
happened. Everything I did was to pass the exam and nothing else mattered. I was
studying day and night and couldn’t care less for other parts of my life. I’ve
let go of my hobbies, time with friends and family, even time for myself to
relax. Fear of failure was what drives me and I wasn’t happy.
As time passed, I’ve taken a step back and changed my view
of failure. Slowly I began embracing my failure and took it as a natural
progression in my journey in life. It is nothing out of the ordinary. Failure may
be a small bump in the road, but it should never be a horrifying monster that
engulfs you. It is something to be aware of but not to be threatened by. After
all, there is much more in life to enjoy and experience than to be bound by
your fear of failures.
With a sedated perception of failure, I found myself open to
more opportunities which makes the everyday life and work in the future that
much more interesting.
3.
A humbling experience
Even with a different perspective, failure often stops us in
the track. “Have I done enough?” “Did I do something wrong?” We would learn
more about ourselves at these junctures than any other time. It forces us to acknowledge
that we are not perfect and reflect on ourselves. Or would our pride get the
best of us?
Because of this experience, we could see ourselves as equals
with the people around us and treat others with compassion just as we want
others to treat us at our failures. We could admit to our failures and learn
from it. Or we could hide from it and rid ourselves of the shame.
The choice is for everyone to choose. But for me one thing
is clear, there is no shame in admitting failure. What only matters is your perception
of the experience and the things you learn from it.
The big picture
Failure is unavoidable in life and is not to be ashamed. Use it to your advantage. Grief if you might but know that failure is one of the many experiences in life and should also be cherished.
To whom that has experienced failure and has found this article
I wish you the best and hope it helps you back on your feet.
