The Art of Perfect Failure

In life, failing is inevitable. 

Not everything is going to lead us into a perfect success story. 

We're going to get knocked down and thrown under the bus many times before we feel like we've truly succeeded in something. 

The problem is, those failures lead us to a fear of trying. 

Rejection is a cold, evil feeling and rips you to pieces,

 leaving you an empty vessel that you try so desperately to fill with something else. 

Rejection comes in many forms and as we grow older, we'll continue to be rejected by life. 

In fact, we are life's rejections. 

We are not perfect nor is humanity. 

We are flawed human beings trying to figure out what we want in life.

Most of us hope our lives will look like the movies.
That we'll all find love with that perfect someone and our lives will just fall into place.
Unfortunately, life isn't the movies and we all don't just find love waiting around the corner.

We have to go out and try.

Some of us spend years looking for it.
But love isn't all there is.

Our ambitions will carry us throughout our lives, determining our complete happiness.
Whether we go to school, travel, have a career, write, etc.
Everyone's success looks differently, but it's the trying that counts.

Opportunities for success are everywhere.
They're only missed when we do not acknowledge their existence.
Education is not a missed opportunity if you never applied and a date is never a lost hope if you never asked to go.

I think that's the part that we forget. We're always sitting around waiting for opportunities to come to us, completely unaware that we have to create them for ourselves.
We have to acknowledge that opportunities are all around us and we give them to ourselves.
Sure, sometimes those attempts lead to failure, but not always.

I am a firm believer in that the problems we face in life and our failures along the way, lead us to more amazing things. You have to get through the rough times, knowing something better is ahead.

Working 3 jobs in college was rough, but that education was worth it, because now I can survive working one job. I wouldn't trade those years of working hard for anything. I gained so much life experience and it taught me to fight for what I wanted. It taught me ambition.

Sometimes failed relationships just teach us what we need and we learn to look for something different and we become better people because of it.
Sure, the rejection part is painful.

Imagine slowly opening up to someone, unwrapping yourself from the box you've been hiding in, 

and then they realize you are not the gift they wanted. 

At first, they were excited to have this new gift, staring at its beautiful wrapping, wondering what's inside, but when they finally open it and discover all of it's inner parts, they're disappointed and want to exchange it.
Sometimes that is exactly what dating feels like. Like we're one giant exchange policy.
But life doesn't have an exchange policy. Instead we're all recalled for our dysfunctions.
It's a painful blow, but we have to take it in stride. Because someday there is going to be someone that loves you for your flaws and is prepared for all of your quirks. Someday there will be someone that doesn't make fun of you for them or expect you to change, but rather they smile at you every day knowing that is you.
We have to prepare ourselves for failure.
We're going to fail. Always. At many things.
But do it with style.
Failure is a synonym for an attempt.
You tried. THAT is what counts.

It's just as Anna Quindlen said,
"What is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.”

BE yourself.
FAIL all the time.
ACKNOWLEDGE opportunities.
And just keep TRYING.