#66985 - Failure in life

[Katya]

http://theboard.byu.edu/questions/66985/

I don't know what prompted this question, Fred, but feel free to avail yourself of a long-distance hug from me.

[Fredjikrang]

Aw, thanks Katya.

I got some disappointing news the other day, along with some other normal, run of the mill failures, and it just ended up being a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Well, almost. It actually got a little bit better later.

Thanks for the hug though. And I really liked the answers to that question.

[TheAnswerIs42]

Second what Katya said - and I just wanted to add that I frequently feel that way. Thankfully the feeling usualy passes, and the next day it turns out I am okay at a few things . But you certainly aren't alone!

[bobtheenchantedone]

Did you end up finding your glow-in-the-dark yoyo?

In other news, I totally know how you feel. I guess it comes with having depression or something, I don't know. I was totally crushed for a good hour this morning because someone gave my shop a neutral feedback, and then all I could think about were all the things that had gone wrong in the past couple of days. However, I read some scriptures and then got back to work, and gradually felt better.

Chin up, lad. It'll be all right.

[NerdGirl]

Here's an e-hug from me, too. I also have days/months/years when I feel like I'm a failure at everything.

[Whistler]

Yeah, I don't know the specifics of your situation, but one year I was rejected from all the PhD programs I applied to. I WAS SO EMO. :-/

[Emiliana]

Ha, I posted on the random thread before I saw this one. But to recap, I got drunk for the first and last time a few nights ago*, and now I'm in danger of blowing one of the most important interviews I've ever had because I'm not at ALL prepared for it. So yeah, Fred, we all feel that way sometimes.

I had a good long talk with my priest* on Sunday on the topic of failure. She* told me that there's a certain amount of freedom in failing at something from time to time. You learn to pick up the pieces and move on, and you learn that God still loves you in spite of all the screw-ups. Most of our perceived failures don't actually cause serious harm to ourselves or others. Even the ones that do, though ... well, we all do dumb stuff, and God loves us and forgives us anyway. Hang in there, Fred.



*For those of you who might not know already, it's probably apparent by now that I'm not Mormon. I was raised evangelical and now identify more or less as Episcopalian.

[Marduk]

I thought you might find the following quote useful:

"Failure can be overcome, but fear of failure can suck the lifeblood from a person's ego and leave him useless to himself, his family, and his company."