I equated not winning to failing. This brought back many past feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt and was a blow to my new found confidence. How was I going to face all the people that voted for me day after day watching me rise into 4th place? How would I explain my failure? I immediately began getting calls from other competitors expressing their disbelief I hadn’t made it, which further compounded my internalized feeling of failure. What was so wrong with me that I didn’t make it? More importantly, why am I allowing this competition to define and measure my success, worth and drive?
Unfortunately, our nature is to please others and all of us seek that “pat on the back” when we have done well. We thrive on the approval from our peers, loved ones and our role models. Why isn’t it enough for some of us to just “be?” Some are content in the participation without the undue stress and downward spiral when failure emerges. Some use failure as fuel to drive them harder toward success, while others let failure stop them dead in their tracks. Which kind of person are you? Identifying our traits is key to knowing how to improve and become better versions of ourselves. We must go through an “unbecoming” process to weed out those insecurities holding us hostage to people-pleasing and perfectionism. We must learn we are enough and to love ourselves at this particular moment in time. We can’t let our past rob us of our future by letting our success today be gauged by others approval. Embrace your soul, with all the holes and imperfections as a badge of honor. We have lived through life enduring pain, sacrifice and let downs, but we survived and are now a product from those equations, therefore we must love and embrace who we are. We must move forward in our purpose without the need of validation and approval from others. Let your purpose driven mission shine regardless of a winning title or award. Move forward with your destiny and your truth will set you free. My mission is UNSTOPPABLE and despite the failure of not getting in the top 50, I have succeeded in the lessons brought to light from it.
Although I have overcome many failures, I am living a story of success today, only further proving we can’t let these limiting titles define us. If you FAIL, never give up because F.A.I.L. means “ first attempt in learning.” Failure is not the END, it merely means “effort never dies.” So, if you get NO as an answer, remember NO means “next opportunity.” Failure from one thing could lead us into an entirely different