Handle success gracefully; Learn from failure

With examinations fast approaching, students tend to be more focused and sensitive about their studies and preparations. The 2022 NCRB report recorded a total of 13,044 student suicides, which is alarming. It is the collective responsibility of parents, teachers and society to step forward and help students process and accept these challenges as part of life’s journey.

Successful students should learn to handle it gracefully and sustain it in later stages to realise their dreams and become what they aspire to be. They need to be taught that success is not an exact reflection of their persona. It does not mean they have achieved perfection or completed their educational journey. Relying too much on past achievements can hamper progress and demotivate a person from aiming higher.

If Sachin Tendulkar did not treat each inning as a new beginning, he would never have scored his hundredth century. Students must view the essence of success from the right perspective. For them, every test and exam serves as a stepping stone toward a successful career. Such students never consider a few steps as the final destination.

The essence of failures

Failures, if taken in the right perspective, build a persona from within and become a source of inspiration to dream big and achieve greater heights. Famous scientist Thomas Edison succeeded after numerous unsuccessful attempts and invented the electric light bulb. For him, each step that failed to produce the desired result was an inspiration as he says: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work”! Every failure has an invaluable lesson, no matter how discouraging it may seem.

If one truly understands the essence of failure, it becomes a strength that helps one cope with setbacks and rebound with double the determination to achieve greatness. The sweetness of success is best relished after experiencing failure, as unexpected results and disappointments shape a person from within. They help recognise flaws and treat them as foundations for growth. Eventually, this enables individuals to soar high and reach their fullest potential.

Most of the time, we tend to realise the importance of something only in its absence, light in darkness and food in times of hunger. Similarly, when students encounter failures, it often stimulates their inner drive to understand the value of success. This mindset develops mental strength, the ability to face challenges and the skill to transform weaknesses into opportunities, ultimately paving the way for personal growth and lasting success. For such students, learning from mistakes while minimising errors becomes easier, making their performance more reliable.

History bears testimony to the fact that failures have shaped some of the most outstanding personalities. Famous scientist Albert Einstein was expelled from school for being slow and even failed the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School entrance exams. Yet, today, his theory of relativity greatly helps us understand the nature of space, time and gravity and serves as a benchmark for advancements in space exploration.

Similarly, Abraham Lincoln was defeated in multiple elections and faced business setbacks before becoming the President of the United States. These examples, among countless others recorded in history, remind us that setbacks often lay the foundation for extraordinary success.

The rapidly growing technologies and ever-increasing competition demand that our students be taught that failure is not the end but rather a new beginning, provided it is viewed with proper perspective and addressed through constructive efforts. Similarly, success of any kind is not final but merely a step forward toward achieving greater goals.

(The author is the director of a management school, Raichur)