Violet Smith

Hi, I’m Violet and I’m currently in the 11th grade. In my spare time, I enjoy watching movies--my favourite would have to be Memento or Brick--painting with watercolours, and listening to indie/pop music. As for life after high school, I would love to pursue a university degree in either media & communications, journalism or business, and I would also consider potentially studying abroad.

A difficulty that I have struggled with throughout my life so far is my fear of failure. As a perfectionist I can be found worrying over things constantly; I often overthink many of the decisions that I need to make. I tend to not step out of my comfort zone, opting out of taking risks, avoiding the potential negative outcomes that could arise from failure. Of course, it’s good to be prepared and organized, especially with one’s academic career, however there will always be moments in life where planning in advance just isn't possible.

I have realized that you must be confident in the skills and abilities you have acquired, and face the situation with a brave attitude. While this is easier said than done, I have learned that it is pertinent to take a realistic approach in situations like these, and to realize the true significance of our single actions in comparison to the vastness of their life, and the planet itself. Working on one’s perspective of what failure is, what its' repercussions, and the worst case scenario may be is a crucial step in dealing with a fear of failure.

One of the defining choices of an individual in their life is how they reflect upon their experiences. Learning to take failure and viewing it as something more than just a mistake at face value, viewing it as a lesson from which you can grow is a tremendously valuable skill that very few possess. The experience really is worth more than the destination, and with your newfound knowledge from past failures you can set upon bigger and better journeys, ready to conquer any obstacle that may come your way. I don’t believe the fear of failure ever goes away. It is a human’s inherent nature to be afraid of rejection, a sense that they do not belong, but it is how those failures are learned from, used as opportunities of learning that can be used to correct one's behaviour, and doing their best to avoid making them again which is truly important.

However, over time I have found myself becoming more and more open to the unpredictable opportunities in my life. From this, my piece of advice for others would be that high school is only a small part of our lives and that we’ve perhaps got many years ahead of ourselves to truly become the people that we want to be, for the path to success is riddled with failure.