Rachel Simmons wrote an article titled “Everyone fails. Here’s how to pick yourself back up.” In it, she argues that failure is a skill that one has to learn. Hence, although it may seem that a sense of failure is natural for any human being, it is best to practice how to fail and how to cope with these experiences. Simmons (n.d.) describes a scenario where she gave a bad speech in front of an important client. This problem happened despite her being a professional public speaker. In the article “Everyone fails. Here’s how to pick yourself back up” Simmons (n.d.) discusses ways of overcoming failure.
Failure is common, and recognizing that there is nothing extraordinary about failing is the first step to feeling better. Simmons (n.d.) herself describes an experience where she did not deliver a good speech. Her instinct was to blame herself and feel ashamed. However, upon reflection, she came up with several recommendations for herself and others. For example, recognizing and naming the feelings that accompany failures, such as fear or anxiety, may help. Next, treating yourself as a friend and speaking to yourself in a friendly manner is very important.
For a ninth-grader, Simmons’s (n.d.) advice is valuable since I think I will have at least several failures in the future. However, I would not want these experiences to stop me from achieving my goals, which can happen if I blame myself for the failure. Hence, I would apply the principles Simmons (n.d.) discusses by practicing a better response to failures. For example, I want to learn self-compassion, which helps address anxiety and nervousness after a failure. Overall, in her article Simmons (n.d.) offers advice on how to practice overcoming failures.
Reference
Simmons, R. (n.d.). Everyone fails. Here’s how to pick yourself back up. The New York Times.