Normalizing Failure - An opinion article by Muhammad Raza

 I was thinking about a friend recently who has not worked out or committed to exercise for a long time. He used to be very active, and would go on runs, workout, play sports, and try his best to stay disciplined and fit, but I guess that life came in the way. Me and some other teammates were also conversing about our peers who had not kept up the discipline to log daily miles or do extra strength training, and I grew continually annoyed by the amount of sneer remarks and criticism they were entreating these people with. To me, if someone failed to remain consistent with their hobbies or failed to accomplish a specific task, it's first and foremost due to other priorities or factors outside their control rather than a complete lack of discipline and perseverance. While discipline and self-control are definite factors in achieving success or remaining consistent, one must also consider the fact that not everyone’s life goal is to become an olympic lifter or a distance runner going for 10 miles day in and day out. This whole situation, ultimately, has made me reflect on how we think of failure.

I believe that we, too often as a society, think about failure as something negative, something to be frowned upon, something that must be avoided at all costs. We think that if someone didn’t achieve a goal, didn’t get the promotion, or didn't ace the last biology quiz, it is because of their own inadequateness and lack of discipline and that the individual deserves to be chastised for their mistake. Yes, everyone can be more streamlined, focused, and disciplined in achieving their goals, but this attitude towards failure being the root of evil is extremely counter-productive. To me, failure to achieve a goal implies that you have tried, that you put expectations in place for yourself, that you attempted to achieve them but unfortunately fell short. It isn’t a mere display of your shortcomings, but a sign of you willing to put yourself forth while recognizing that you might not make it. There are so many out there who do set these goals or expectations in the first place, and are content with staying in their comfort zone while you make the constant effort to push out of it. This is why I believe that we should strive to normalize a more positive attitude towards failure, an attitude that commends effort and understands that failing is an imperative step to success. So if you are reading this, my friend that hasn’t worked out in a while, please know that I see that you’ve pushed yourself in the past despite coming up short, and I fully believe that you can come back stronger than ever by learning from your mistakes!