Failure Vs. Success

In the Disney Film, “Meet the Robinsons”, there comes a scene where main character and orphan Lewis has to fix his PB&J invention, and fails to do it.

How he reacts is how I feel almost every day. I fail at something all the time. But the Robinsons give a different reaction to failure.

Lewis was so disappointed in himself. But it wasn’t long until he looks up, confused, to see the Robinson’s cheering him on for his defeat.

I would be just as confused as Lewis in that moment. Why are they cheering if someone just failed? Then, Aunt Billie gives a word of advice to Lewis: “When you fail, there is something you can learn. When you succeed, not so much.”

Especially in high school, students are pressured to do their best. If they don’t, they can’t get into a good college, and then won’t get a good job. They’re pressured by teachers, family, even peers, as though it’s a competition to win first place. But kids, students, and adults in general, need to see the advantages of failing in life.

While critics may say that failure causes more work, and things potentially go wrong, it’s always better to learn how to fix that problem so it can be solved at a quicker rate for next time.

In the Hoofbeat newsroom, I help write stories for every issue. But there are times where I have to rewrite my rough drafts three or four or even five times before I get it right. Or, there are days when I hit writer’s block and I have no clue what to put down next. But it’s because of those multiple drafts that I’m able to find success. If I just wrote the perfect story every time, I wouldn’t know how to face failure if, for once, the story wasn’t up to par. I can see who I am through writing, and I can develop more of a voice for the student body.

To the Webster Dictionary, failure means to be unable to perform a duty or expected action. I think what people forget is that we aren’t perfect. There will be times where we won’t go over and beyond the expectations.

I want to be able to fail and learn something from it. So that when I do succeed, I can feel good about the work I’ve put into it. Where I can take risks and still see the beauty in the project, even if I did epically fail.

Aunt Billie had it right when saying it’s okay to fail. We need to realize that we did fail, and come to terms with it. So that, oh how did Disney put it, we can keep moving forwards.