everyone fails it’s a part of being human no matter how good we might be how
human no matter how good we might be how
human no matter how good we might be how smart or how perfect we seem we fail
smart or how perfect we seem we fail
smart or how perfect we seem we fail sometimes pretty epically but let me
sometimes pretty epically but let me
sometimes pretty epically but let me tell you a story about why failure isn’t
tell you a story about why failure isn’t
tell you a story about why failure isn’t necessarily a bad thing my story starts
necessarily a bad thing my story starts
necessarily a bad thing my story starts with college Honor applications most
with college Honor applications most
with college Honor applications most colleges have an essay with variations
colleges have an essay with variations
colleges have an essay with variations of this question what is your biggest
of this question what is your biggest
of this question what is your biggest failure as of right now my biggest
failure as of right now my biggest
failure as of right now my biggest failure was not getting into Stanford
failure was not getting into Stanford
failure was not getting into Stanford University I know what you’re probably
University I know what you’re probably
University I know what you’re probably thinking that’s not really a failure is
thinking that’s not really a failure is
thinking that’s not really a failure is it but to me it was like the ground
it but to me it was like the ground
it but to me it was like the ground dropped out from beneath my feet when I
dropped out from beneath my feet when I
dropped out from beneath my feet when I read my rejection letter Stanford had
read my rejection letter Stanford had
read my rejection letter Stanford had seemed like the perfect school for me I
seemed like the perfect school for me I
seemed like the perfect school for me I saw how excited my sister was when she
saw how excited my sister was when she
saw how excited my sister was when she went for admin tweakin in 2014 and I
went for admin tweakin in 2014 and I
went for admin tweakin in 2014 and I thought that I could be just as happy as
thought that I could be just as happy as
thought that I could be just as happy as she was there Stanford became my dream
she was there Stanford became my dream
she was there Stanford became my dream school I thought constantly about how
school I thought constantly about how
school I thought constantly about how wonderful it would be to get in I even
wonderful it would be to get in I even
wonderful it would be to get in I even prayed for it and we know how that story
prayed for it and we know how that story
prayed for it and we know how that story ends what you don’t know was how on the
ends what you don’t know was how on the
ends what you don’t know was how on the day decisions were emailed out a friend
day decisions were emailed out a friend
day decisions were emailed out a friend of mine ran up the hill and told me my
of mine ran up the hill and told me my
of mine ran up the hill and told me my fate would be determined what you don’t
fate would be determined what you don’t
fate would be determined what you don’t know was that throughout the entire day
know was that throughout the entire day
know was that throughout the entire day my mind was numb and my arse were
my mind was numb and my arse were
my mind was numb and my arse were shaking with dread and fear and
shaking with dread and fear and
shaking with dread and fear and excitement I couldn’t think couldn’t
excitement I couldn’t think couldn’t
excitement I couldn’t think couldn’t focus on anything but the email sitting
focus on anything but the email sitting
focus on anything but the email sitting innocently in my inbox just screaming at
innocently in my inbox just screaming at
innocently in my inbox just screaming at me to open it I kept running through
me to open it I kept running through
me to open it I kept running through endless possibilities in my head I
endless possibilities in my head I
endless possibilities in my head I pictured celebrating with my parents
pictured celebrating with my parents
pictured celebrating with my parents crying tears of joy at the same time I
crying tears of joy at the same time I
crying tears of joy at the same time I also saw myself on the streets in some
also saw myself on the streets in some
also saw myself on the streets in some unknown City holding a collection soon I
unknown City holding a collection soon I
unknown City holding a collection soon I cried for about half an hour after I saw
cried for about half an hour after I saw
cried for about half an hour after I saw the letter that I got and went to go
the letter that I got and went to go
the letter that I got and went to go study for my finals everyone thought I
study for my finals everyone thought I
study for my finals everyone thought I was dealing with it well myself included
was dealing with it well myself included
was dealing with it well myself included but soon it became clear that I was not
but soon it became clear that I was not
but soon it became clear that I was not in fact handling it well I started
in fact handling it well I started
in fact handling it well I started applying to other schools like Harvard
applying to other schools like Harvard
applying to other schools like Harvard and Columbia because why not try for
and Columbia because why not try for
and Columbia because why not try for them and yet I couldn’t help but think
them and yet I couldn’t help but think
them and yet I couldn’t help but think that maybe I was aiming too high maybe
that maybe I was aiming too high maybe
that maybe I was aiming too high maybe this was all just a waste of time and
this was all just a waste of time and
this was all just a waste of time and money
money
money maybe I my essays would have been
maybe I my essays would have been
maybe I my essays would have been perfect if I’d rewritten that one
perfect if I’d rewritten that one
perfect if I’d rewritten that one sentence maybe if I’d applied Regular
sentence maybe if I’d applied Regular
sentence maybe if I’d applied Regular Decision
Decision
Decision I would have gotten in maybe maybe I
I would have gotten in maybe maybe I
I would have gotten in maybe maybe I just wasn’t as good as people believed
just wasn’t as good as people believed
just wasn’t as good as people believed because I thought I’d tried my best
because I thought I’d tried my best
because I thought I’d tried my best after all I wanted it so badly but what
after all I wanted it so badly but what
after all I wanted it so badly but what if my best just wasn’t good enough one
if my best just wasn’t good enough one
if my best just wasn’t good enough one reason why the rejection was so
reason why the rejection was so
reason why the rejection was so crippling to me was because I was
crippling to me was because I was
crippling to me was because I was looking too closely at it I kept
looking too closely at it I kept
looking too closely at it I kept thinking that Stanford had rejected me
thinking that Stanford had rejected me
thinking that Stanford had rejected me because I wasn’t up to their standard
because I wasn’t up to their standard
because I wasn’t up to their standard that it was entirely my fault I hadn’t
that it was entirely my fault I hadn’t
that it was entirely my fault I hadn’t gotten in but as many wise people told
gotten in but as many wise people told
gotten in but as many wise people told me colleges don’t necessarily pick the
me colleges don’t necessarily pick the
me colleges don’t necessarily pick the best people they choose the people they
best people they choose the people they
best people they choose the people they think will strengthen their community
think will strengthen their community
think will strengthen their community people who will help improve the school
people who will help improve the school
people who will help improve the school maybe I would have been really happy at
maybe I would have been really happy at
maybe I would have been really happy at Stanford maybe I would have been
Stanford maybe I would have been
Stanford maybe I would have been absolutely miserable
absolutely miserable
absolutely miserable but in the end it really is just down to
but in the end it really is just down to
but in the end it really is just down to luck and what the school is looking for
luck and what the school is looking for
luck and what the school is looking for even knowing this I don’t think I would
even knowing this I don’t think I would
even knowing this I don’t think I would have recovered as quickly as I did if I
have recovered as quickly as I did if I
have recovered as quickly as I did if I hadn’t had my amazing friends and family
hadn’t had my amazing friends and family
hadn’t had my amazing friends and family to help me through it they comforted me
to help me through it they comforted me
to help me through it they comforted me and one of my darkest times helping me
and one of my darkest times helping me
and one of my darkest times helping me understand that this failure didn’t
understand that this failure didn’t
understand that this failure didn’t define me and that I was loved friends
define me and that I was loved friends
define me and that I was loved friends who were in college talked to me about
who were in college talked to me about
who were in college talked to me about their own rejections from their dream
their own rejections from their dream
their own rejections from their dream schools and helped me realize that life
schools and helped me realize that life
schools and helped me realize that life has a way of working out for the better
has a way of working out for the better
has a way of working out for the better all of my loved ones nudged me towards
all of my loved ones nudged me towards
all of my loved ones nudged me towards the realization that my worth goes
the realization that my worth goes
the realization that my worth goes beyond what I accomplished and where I
beyond what I accomplished and where I
beyond what I accomplished and where I go to school but is instead Who I am at
go to school but is instead Who I am at
go to school but is instead Who I am at my very core it took me a while to
my very core it took me a while to
my very core it took me a while to realize that it is not our failures that
realize that it is not our failures that
realize that it is not our failures that define us but what we take from them how
define us but what we take from them how
define us but what we take from them how you decide to recover from a mistake
you decide to recover from a mistake
you decide to recover from a mistake even one as small as perhaps biting into
even one as small as perhaps biting into
even one as small as perhaps biting into crunchy pasta is far more important and
crunchy pasta is far more important and
crunchy pasta is far more important and applying through other colleges I
applying through other colleges I
applying through other colleges I explored all aspects of my psyche
explored all aspects of my psyche
explored all aspects of my psyche leading to a better understanding of me
leading to a better understanding of me
leading to a better understanding of me as a person I was forced to confront
as a person I was forced to confront
as a person I was forced to confront myself to delve into how I could make a
myself to delve into how I could make a
myself to delve into how I could make a difference in a larger community what
difference in a larger community what
difference in a larger community what could I really bring to the table how
could I really bring to the table how
could I really bring to the table how were my ideas worthwhile and this way
were my ideas worthwhile and this way
were my ideas worthwhile and this way the college application was not helping
the college application was not helping
the college application was not helping me regain my self-confidence assuring me
me regain my self-confidence assuring me
me regain my self-confidence assuring me that I did have something to offer but
that I did have something to offer but
that I did have something to offer but when you do fail as everyone does at
when you do fail as everyone does at
when you do fail as everyone does at some point you just have to get right
some point you just have to get right
some point you just have to get right back up and do the best you can a good
back up and do the best you can a good
back up and do the best you can a good friend used to tell me life is always
friend used to tell me life is always
friend used to tell me life is always beyond your control and you know what
beyond your control and you know what
beyond your control and you know what he’s right nobody can control their life
he’s right nobody can control their life
he’s right nobody can control their life you can’t predict how things will go so
you can’t predict how things will go so
you can’t predict how things will go so stop blaming yourself
stop blaming yourself
stop blaming yourself stand up tall keep your chin up and
stand up tall keep your chin up and
stand up tall keep your chin up and remember that you are beautiful as you
remember that you are beautiful as you
remember that you are beautiful as you are try your hardest and do your best
are try your hardest and do your best
are try your hardest and do your best because that will always be good enough
because that will always be good enough
because that will always be good enough take a deep breath and remember that
take a deep breath and remember that
take a deep breath and remember that life isn’t over just yet
life isn’t over just yet
life isn’t over just yet one failures happen find another goal to
one failures happen find another goal to
one failures happen find another goal to work towards so keep trying keep
work towards so keep trying keep
work towards so keep trying keep dreaming and keep failing because you
dreaming and keep failing because you
dreaming and keep failing because you never know what you’ll learn I’d like to
never know what you’ll learn I’d like to
never know what you’ll learn I’d like to finish with a poem that I wrote for an
finish with a poem that I wrote for an
finish with a poem that I wrote for an English assignment emerging from that
English assignment emerging from that
English assignment emerging from that cave like I was in a dream my mind is
cave like I was in a dream my mind is
cave like I was in a dream my mind is like curly fries can’t differentiate the
like curly fries can’t differentiate the
like curly fries can’t differentiate the in-between they say you are what you eat
in-between they say you are what you eat
in-between they say you are what you eat nowadays but I’m not an apple of the
nowadays but I’m not an apple of the
nowadays but I’m not an apple of the earth at 91 degrees and I’m being
earth at 91 degrees and I’m being
earth at 91 degrees and I’m being lowered into this vat of spitting hot
lowered into this vat of spitting hot
lowered into this vat of spitting hot oil six of us sit at the table having
oil six of us sit at the table having
oil six of us sit at the table having simultaneous breakdowns break frowns
simultaneous breakdowns break frowns
simultaneous breakdowns break frowns until after laced with nerves people
until after laced with nerves people
until after laced with nerves people like us are expected to be the fives of
like us are expected to be the fives of
like us are expected to be the fives of the world but how can we if I only feel
the world but how can we if I only feel
the world but how can we if I only feel like a one how can we be in this world
like a one how can we be in this world
like a one how can we be in this world of two-dimensional black and white
of two-dimensional black and white
of two-dimensional black and white inherited by yearning youths coughing up
inherited by yearning youths coughing up
inherited by yearning youths coughing up coffee all of us struggling going for
coffee all of us struggling going for
coffee all of us struggling going for the Stanford standard because I’m a
the Stanford standard because I’m a
the Stanford standard because I’m a genius the scholar who don’t got time
genius the scholar who don’t got time
genius the scholar who don’t got time for a gentleman caller and I’m staring
for a gentleman caller and I’m staring
for a gentleman caller and I’m staring down at this hot potato if I don’t get
down at this hot potato if I don’t get
down at this hot potato if I don’t get it I don’t get off the sinking volcano
it I don’t get off the sinking volcano
it I don’t get off the sinking volcano lava will swallow me up and sharks will
lava will swallow me up and sharks will
lava will swallow me up and sharks will eat my bones
eat my bones
eat my bones water is essential so make sure to
water is essential so make sure to
water is essential so make sure to hydrate but my life is ended by just one
hydrate but my life is ended by just one
hydrate but my life is ended by just one carbohydrate motivation is dropping like
carbohydrate motivation is dropping like
carbohydrate motivation is dropping like that exponential decay bullets coming at
that exponential decay bullets coming at
that exponential decay bullets coming at me I can’t get out of the way our minds
me I can’t get out of the way our minds
me I can’t get out of the way our minds are filled with these edible tubers I
are filled with these edible tubers I
are filled with these edible tubers I saw why some stars in the sky become
saw why some stars in the sky become
saw why some stars in the sky become shooters this is potato heads laughing
shooters this is potato heads laughing
shooters this is potato heads laughing at me at us at you but remember all she
at me at us at you but remember all she
at me at us at you but remember all she is is just one little potato thank you
is is just one little potato thank you
is is just one little potato thank you [Applause]
”
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