All it takes is one Test at IIT to bring us all down to Earth and accept failure as part of life. I still remember getting 3/20 in my first Physics Test. Having been used to topping all through school and college, this was a rude shock. But not the end of life. After my first semester in IIT where I focused only on academics, I realised that I had little hope of emerging as a topper even with my best efforts. And so it was that I started focusing on extra-curricular activities, and in three years rose to the top student post (General Secretary – Cultural). If we fail in something, perhaps there is something else we can succeed at.
This learning has been true through my life. In business, I have tried multiple things and only a few have worked. Failure has been the teacher for me. If we can overcome our fear of failure, there is much that we can do in life that we like and can excel at.
