Success and Person

Failure and Success

The Ateneo, a private and prestigious university, asked us: “Are there any significant experiences you have had, or accomplishments you have realized that have helped to define you as a person?”

I thought about that question for weeks, speculating about what have I encountered that helped define myself as a person. My mind was puzzled - it was a rather difficult question. And then I thought: All my triumphs and experiences had not yet defined myself as an individual.

Would I be a disappointment if I have not yet defined myself? For now, this is what I call myself – undefined. No one can really define me yet. Neither my parents nor my friends can classify me.

I don’t want this to become a sequentially ordered list of achievements. I don’t consider them as successes. I personally believe that these are the outcomes for being an effective student. Medals and certificates are just sheer things that represent our victories in life. In time, these will all fade away – the fame and the grandeur. What matters most is the assessments we’ve learned through the process. These triumphs are every person’s priceless experience.

Although I’ve had a number of achievements, I, too, have a great number of failures. I am not a flawless teenager. I make mistakes just like everybody else does. The only difference is that I make sure that these disappointments would mold me as a better person. I will also assure myself that I will give more than a hundred percent. I will be aiming for the “gold medal.”

I believe that failure delineated me more as a person. I am not saying that failing is good. Rather, I am stating that a person may be defined by their successes, but in most situations in life, you must have failure to learn how to succeed. Never let anyone tell you that failing is wrong. Failure is a part of life, and it is imperative for gaining wisdom.

Ten years from now, I can see myself working in a decent job. I suppose by that time, I can already define myself. I can predict that I will become a successful Filipino someday – a person who will become successful because of hard work and perseverance. I can see myself as a person who made a success out of her own failures. Excellence is my aim for the future. It is my greatest dream.

Like an athlete, we have to train ourselves to master the craft. We may encounter failures along the way, but what is important is that we learn from those mistakes and aim for the gold. It is not about the success or the failures of a person. It is about aiming for excellence.