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Failure has its Fruits

In India, there's a lot of hype about certain things in the academic sector including a number of competitive exams in the various fields of education. These exams involve a cut-throat competition and totally unproportionate ratios of those appearing for them and those who May get through. There's usually 1 position for every 100,000 candidates and, more often than not, clearing them becomes an obsession for the aspirants and their families leading to an immense amount of psychological torture..

I'm writing about this because I recently appeared  for one such exam. I wasn't under pressure from anyone and I had taken my sweet time in deciding if I even wanted to make the attempt or not. I have reason to believe, and I kinda knew it beforehand, that I won't be cracking it. I was unprepared and had a lot on mind and I could have waited till next year to make my move just like everyone else but I didn't. I chose a path most people around me thought to be useless. But not me. Though academically I would fail, but this failure has given me a major insight into my own mind.

I now understand what drives the obsession that comes over some people who make repeated attempts, even at the cost of their peace of mind, to achieve something that remains mere inches away from their grasp on every occasion and it is not a pure drive to achieve the goal or the desire to become something, it is our Ego. Don't get me wrong here, I'm all for being passionate about one's goal and doing whatever it takes to achieve it, but what I don't believe in is letting that one thing drive you away from your own true self. Don't forget that all your achiements, your goals, your successes and failures, they are all A Part of your life'; they are Not Your Life.

I say this because after giving the said exam, I felt a sense of power, a feeling of being the smartest person in the room and now when I'm contemplating, I realise that it was not my talent or my passion or not even my intellect that was responsible, it was Pure and Simple Ego.

So please, choose a path that suits you, not one that the world thinks is the best. Make your own decisions and be ready to face the consequences without the drama of the blame-game. (that includes yourself) And don't DON'T let anything consume your energy in a way that is harmful to your peace if mind. Nothing in this world is worth that. You are smart and the best, we know that but there's no need to let yourself hang on that for long. Cherish each victory but remember not to overdo it. And most importantly, reap the fruits of your failures; they may not bring immediate or the most desirable rewards, but what they do is sometimes even more precious than winning the battle.

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