As I am sure everyone in this school has noticed, we have a new school motto.

Instead of “Soaring to Success” or a similar phrase used in years past, our school now wears the new motto “Failure Is Not an Option.”

To say I detest this choice would be an understatement.

However,  it is important that I say that I have nothing against the people who chose this motto, or why they chose it, because I understand the pressures on them. My intention is not to throw anyone under the bus or anything of that sort, but simply to state my opinion on this issue.

Like Albert Einstein once said, “anyone who has never failed has never tried anything new.”

Listen: Failing is success.  Failure is inevitable. It is a part of life.

If we teach young people that failure isn’t an option they will never create anything new because they will be terrified of failing.  Many of the most influential people in history have failed miserably at one point or another. Only because of these failures have they been able to succeed.

Henry Ford revolutionized industrial production, changed the entire course of the economy in the 20th century, and went on to become one of the richest men of his time. He did this only after his first two automobile companies failed.  Miserably.

Oprah Winfrey was fired from her first job as a news anchor because she was deemed unsuitable for television. She is now one of the most well-known TV personalities and also a billionaire.

My point is, if we were to show either of these brilliant minds the sign that says “Failure is Not An Option” they would laugh in our face.

What they proved is that failure IS an option, and a viable one.

By teaching teenagers to be afraid of failure they are learning nothing.  But if we try a little harder to teach them how to experience and overcome failure, we will have much more success.

However, we like to focus on how important it is that no one fails anything in our school. When it comes down to it our school needs kids to pass their classes, and these state tests. I’m not saying it is a bad thing, I am saying it is okay until we fall into the trap of believing that a grade can define a human being.

By failing a test, I have learned what I need to improve to be better. By failing in sports, I have learned to work harder. I have never failed a state test but I do know better than to believe that failing a test like that defines how smart someone is. We put too much effort into scaring kids. Walking into our school, the greeting is the “Failure Is Not An Option” signs. Instead of growing a fear of failure, we should work on developing a want of success.

By teaching that failing isn’t an option, when a student raises a hand with the wrong answer, or has an idea shot down by a fellow student, or when someone builds a birdhouse that falls apart, the motto of our school blares in the back of their minds and they become wary of taking a chance again if it means possible failure.

So I conclude with this: as a captain of the soccer team, student representative of the school board, and high honor roll student, I stand by the idea that it matters not how much we fail or to what extent the damage.  What really matters is the ability to overcome adversity that will bring us success.

The only way to completely avoid failure is to do, say, and be nothing.

Failure is an option, and it is a choice.  We must find within us the strength to persevere in spite of it and find our own successes.