Dealing with Failure

By Shirley Nowinski

Senior Staff Writer

HCC’s mission statement includes the hope that you will be a lifetime learner. What does that mean? That you will be aware of what is going on in the world and around you? That you will pursue new information, try new things, and be willing to consider other points of view?

Yes, but I think it also means you learn to benefit from your failures.

If I could give one piece of advice to my younger self, it would be to take advantage of failures. No matter how well you plan, how hard you work, or how successful you are, there will always be moments out of your control where you will feel angry and discouraged.

Years ago, I had to take a bus to the train in order to go to work. At one point, the drivers switched routes and the new driver was constantly late. Everyone had to dash for the train.

Sometimes we made the train, but often we got to the platform as it pulled away.

On one of those days I ran onto the wet street and found myself chinfirst on the ground. The train pulled out and I had to wait a half-hour with a bleeding chin for the next train. Then I stopped at the hospital and found out I needed 26 stitches. I was really, really, late to work that day, and I decided I was not going to run for the train ever again.

The next time the bus was late, I decided to check out a café there. I purchased a muffin and coffee, sat at the station and enjoyed waiting while reading a magazine. Then I actually sat at the café and had breakfast. The strange thing is, once I found ways of enjoying the delay, the driver got transferred, and the bus was on time.

Since then I have tried to see what good can come from a disappointing event, and it has gotten easier and easier to find. So when life obstacles happen and you find you can’t go, do, see, or have what you expected; look around for what you can have.

It could be that the job you don’t get makes you available for the job you love, or the second class choice may become your favorite. The person who shares their book because you forgot yours may become a good friend, and the time you have to wait in line may result in overhearing a conversation that changes your life.

I have met wonderful people; found better jobs, accomplished things I would never have tried, all because something happened that blocked my planned path. Believe that sometimes bad things do happen for a good reason!