Celebrating Failure

A couple times that I have failed this semester occurred when applying to internships. Most recently, I was interviewed in the final round for a company's internship (that I will leave unnamed) and found out this past week that I was not going to receive their internship. While many would not really consider that a failure, to me, it was because it was an internship that I really felt that I was qualified for. In addition, earlier in the semester I submitted my resume and credentials to a couple of the leading consulting firms around the country, only to never hear back from them.

Through these failures, I learned not to be afraid to really put my name out there and not be afraid to fall a few times. I learned from one of the recruiters that I had a really impressive resume and interviewed well, but unfortunately just was not as qualified as a couple other students (and this is only as a sophomore). It also taught me to continue to get involved at UF and around the community, and to try to impact as many people I can with my skills and talents. In addition, these failures have taught me that no matter how hard I fail or how bad I feel about something, the sun will continue to rise the next morning and that day is a new day. Life is too short to sulk on failures when there are countless opportunities (especially as Gators) to be a success story and positive influence on the lives we touch. 

Although I think that failure sucks and that nobody wants to deal with or experience failure, it is a necessary evil. I am usually one to take failure on the chin and begin to analyze what I did that led to my failure and what I can do to make sure that I do not experience this same type of failure. I usually give myself a 24-hour time period to feel bad about myself, but after that is up, I am immediately finding new ways to improve myself and/or the situation that I am in. ENT3003 has really taught me to step out of my shell and not be afraid to fail. I know that in order to be a successful entrepreneur, or just successful in general, one cannot be afraid of failure. Most people think that failure is a permanent fixture, but think of all the times Michael Jordan missed a shot. He was great because he never stopped shooting and had the ultimate confidence in himself. Looking back at this class, there have been a few assignments that I have missed, but it has not kept me from continuing to be successful and furthering my entrepreneurial venture. After all this, I would definitely say that I am more likely to take a risk than I was before entering this class.

Until next time,

-Bryce