No one wants to hear the word “result”. It brings fear into the hearts of students who’ve worked hard the entire academic period, to achieve their set goals. To fulfill their and their parent’s dreams, to live up to the expectations of their teachers, their classmates and most importantly themselves and to show to the world that they do have the ability to be successful in examinations, to be successful in life.
But all that hard work, all that effort, may not always pay off. The results may not always be equal to the effort put in. You may have an unsatisfactory result. Life may seem tough. Life may seem unfair, unpleasant and untrustworthy. Everything may seem dull. Happiness may be looked upon as just an illusion; sadness may be considered the true emotion. Life may be viewed as agonizing. Sorrow and disappointment may be everywhere. One may want to finish the agony, end the sorrow and get rid of the disappointment.
But how can a person do that? What is the proper process to recovery after a bad result? What shall one do when all seems lost? The answer to all these questions is acceptance. Acceptance of the fact that a bad result is what you have. It cannot be changed. No amount of guilt of not studying enough, or anger at the examiners would do any good. One just has to accept failure. Accept failure with grace, understand where you have had shortcomings and work on those areas for the future, so that one can be successful in the future.
“Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement.” – C.S. Lewis. Think on this quote for a moment. Let its meaning sink into your mind. Then continue reading the article.
CIE, Edexel and Matric students have received their results. Some of the students are satisfied with their performance, whereas most are not. Recently I’ve seen on the television that some Matric students have committed suicide after a not up to scratch result. That is NOT the answer. What could suicide do for you or your family? Would your family be happy at this action of yours? Would you be happy with committing suicide? NO, of course not, are you so weak that after ONE bad result you’re ready to call it a life and quit? Calling it quits doesn’t just mean suicide. Stopping education is also calling it quits. Shifting towards an easier series of examinations is also calling it quits. Stopping hard work is also calling it quits. Don’t quit. Just don’t.
Rather, use a bad result positively. Let the unsatisfactory result fuel your hunger for success. Let it be your drive. Let it increase your determination. Let it make you stronger. Let it make you more enduring. Let it make you more resolute. Let it be the reason for your success in life. Let failure remind you of the fact that you’re not perfect, not even close, you’re not even close to reaching your true potential, reaching perfection is another story altogether. Once you think like this, understand that you have won. You have won a small skirmish but the war is yet to come. Now, how can you win despite having a bad result? Because you get the opportunity to experience one of life’s most important lessons, that a small failure isn’t the end. So no, don’t give up. But rise from the ashes; rise stronger than ever, more determined than ever.
“Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end.” – Denis Waitley. Let this quote sink in as well. Ponder on its meaning and understand the lesson it is providing.
So, set your goals now. Start working on a plan to achieve those goals. Then execute that plan. Make sure nothing comes in between your plan. As your plan is your passageway to success. Learn from this failure that whatever aims you set for yourself now, you have to achieve them now, and you can’t let them out of your sight. You can’t afford failure again. You won’t accept failure again, remind yourself of the sorrow when you feel like not working hard, only to get back on track towards your target. Prove to the people who have begun doubting you after one failure that you’re awesome and this was nothing but a very minor setback.
Go win at life. Go prove your critics wrong. Go understand one of life’s most important lessons at a small age. Go make yourself ready for a war. Not a war fought with guns and grenades, but rather a war fought with the tough examinations. A war in which victory is not achieved by committing mass murder of enemy troops, rather victory is achieved by achieving your own aims. So go win this war. May the force be with you.
