CTYA’s Blog has started a new Feature every other Wednesday called “Thangachi’s Corner”. “Thangachi’s Corner” is a comfortable space to discuss relatable topics and issues relevant to the Canadian Tamil youth of today. For more information about this feature or to suggest a topic, feel free to e-mail us at blogs@ctya.org!
Written By: Keerthana Raveendran
“‘Tis a lesson you should heed: Try, try, try again.
If at first you don’t succeed, Try, try, try again.”
– Thomas H. Palmer, Teacher’s Manual
When that quote first hit the public, it spread like auntie’s cooking around the dinner table. The fact that we still say it a hundred and seventy years down the road is a testament to its power.
But what our friend Thomas H. Palmer failed to mention, though, is the crippling, hindering, depressing pain that failure often brings.
You know the one—when you spend hours studying for an exam, only to find that you haven’t quite met the goal you’d set for yourself. Or when you spend weeks of time and effort to undergo an endeavour close to your heart, only to discover that you’d gone about it the wrong way and have to start back at square one. Failure comes in all shapes and sizes but drops the same cold weight in your gut.
Sometimes you can see it coming. You know perfectly well that victory is an elusive mistress, so you prepare yourself for defeat, only to find that you can never prepare yourself for it, not really. Nothing makes it pleasant or tolerable; nothing removes the disappointment in being unable to achieve that goal, and you find yourself left to sulk and wallow in your self-pity.
But if you are going to wallow, like we all do from time to time, do it only for a day before chiding yourself with a, Are you serious? Pull yourself together already! Because all things considered, Palmer’s right. Perseverance goes a long way and while it seems as though it’s more convenient down on the ground where you’ve been shoved, you’re probably not going to find what you’re looking for down there.
Let’s be honest: you’re going to fail—a lot. But you’re also going to succeed if you give yourself the time and opportunity to do it. After all, when you compare a sole attempt with ten, your chances of success are far better with the latter.
About the Author:
Keerthana Raveendran, known by her flock as Thangachi, is an aspiring author with an eye for the eccentricities of the Tamil Canadian culture. As an unemployed student with a mountain load of student debt, she is currently broke, so you will probably be able to relate to her. As a writer, she has a special kind of wit that is present on the page and absent during the awkward conversations you tend have with her in person. Thangachi is currently a Masters student studying English at York University.
Read More by Keerthana!
“They Call it Maanam”
“Who are they anyway?”
“Remembering our Literature”
“Society and Expectations”
“To my Tamil Friends”
Tags: Speak Out
