Freedom Failed
(Baonghean.vn) - People often hear and think about success. That's fine, but from a personal perspective, I think we also need to think about failures.
One of the most famous speeches by Mark Zuckerberg - founder of Facebook has the saying: "The greatest success comes from the freedom to fail." Mark declared that in the main lecture hall of Harvard University when he came to receive his honorary degree, after 12 years of dropping out of this prestigious school.
The man who succeeded after many failures added: “Facebook is not the first thing I built. I have developed many ideas such as video games, chat systems, learning tools and music software. And I am not the only one. JK Rowling was also rejected 12 times before publishing the best-selling book of all time, Harry Potter. Beyonce also had to compose hundreds of songs to have Halo”.
That was one of the most inspirational statements in my life. I - a student of a specialized school, 12 years in school were 12 years living in the halo of "other people's children". Every time my family had a memorial service, every time I went to a neighborhood meeting with my mother, or even when I walked to the alley to eat breakfast, the words I often heard were: Such a small person but such a good student! Where is T., come sit next to A. to enjoy this little study blessing! What did you eat to study so well, my child! Study well and don't forget me when you succeed!... Those words of praise for bright red 10s and academic achievements invisibly made me immersed in the illusion of a bright future, that I would be this or that person, go here and there, that wherever and whenever I would be the most outstanding person, that intelligence is a value, a superior advantage that helps me speed on the smooth road of life... I believe so. My parents believe so. Everyone I know believes so. But life is not like a dream!
I failed the university entrance exam. It was a thunderbolt. Who would have thought that someone who had been a good student for 12 years like me would fail the university entrance exam? At that time, the high school graduation exam and the university entrance exam were two different exams. That year, I was 1 point short - quite far from my original plan and because I was too confident, I did not register for my second choice. That meant I only had 2 options: choose to re-study and re-take the exam; choose to go abroad, immigrate under the sponsorship of relatives, become a freelance worker without a degree.
I remember I cried for a whole month, so shocked that I didn’t dare to leave the house, all my activities revolved around my small room, limiting contact with even my parents and siblings. I felt ashamed of myself, doubting my abilities. The word “failure” was like a mantra chanted in my head every hour, every day. I felt useless, that I was a sinner who brought shame to my family. But no matter how much I tried to avoid it, there came a time when I had to make a choice. I chose to retake the exam, partly out of revenge - maybe, but also because I felt I was more suited to studying than rushing into life when I was not ready.
1 year of studying again really turned me into a different version, calmer, more mature, less delusional and more clear-headed when making big decisions in life. In the second year of taking the exam, I filled out all 3 wishes, and the first wish was still the university that I had failed. I passed with a high score. The day I received the score, smiles that had been absent for a long time bloomed on the faces of my parents and siblings. I was also happy, but that joy was like a flower hidden in the night, gentle because I had absorbed and understood the wind and frost. On the day of entering school, standing before the gate of my dream, I told myself: I did it. Finally, I did it. What's wrong with failing, as long as there is still a light in my heart, take each step and you will reach the destination. I have the right to fail!
Later, that self-talk guided me through many other failures and breakdowns in life. The more mature I become, the more I realize that failure is not as scary as most of us think. Because everything in life has countless potentials that no one can completely control. We cannot change our fate, but we can completely change ourselves. Failures have given me many valuable lessons, taught me to stand up and move on; with countless ups and downs, I can confidently tell you that failures are just turning points, not dead ends. Sometimes, who knows, a few turning points can really change the trajectory of life in a better direction. The key is to believe in and love yourself, and evoke positive core values in your inner strength to stimulate and jump far.
People often hear and think about success. That's fine, but from a personal perspective, I think we also need to think about failures. After all, on the road of life, no one is always smooth sailing, failures are inevitable. Let's make some space in our minds for failure, to be ready to welcome and accept when "it" comes, calmly pick up the useful things that failure teaches us, step over and move on. And remember what Mark Zuckerberg said, the greatest success comes from the freedom to fail!
