Failure is not the alternative to success.

It’s something to be avoided, but it’s also only a temporary setback on a bigger,
more significant course. Everybody encounters failure at one point or another. What truly matters is how you react to
and learn from that failure.
 “The real measure of success is how many times you can bounce back from failure”. It is
what dad had told me. My dad is a professional teacher, but behind that success, is an
embarrassing first effort, a stumble, a setback or a radical change of direction.
My dad’s family isn’t rich, they’re just a simple family. They can’t even afford the
payments for school. So the best thing for Dad’s to do is to work by himself to earn money for
his allowance as well as to support his own family. When he was on High School he worked on
their own farm. Despite for his hard work and efforts, he graduated in High School with flying
colors. He graduated as the class Salutatorian. All of his hard work was paid off.
Before entering in college, he worked first as a radio reporter. He was popularly known
as “Pinoy” in the world of broadcasting not only in Davao City but to the whole Region as well
at that time. After saving enough money for the entrance fee, he finally entered at University of
Mindanao for his college education. However, as a college student, normally there is a ton of
requirements to be accomplished, Tuition fees, allowance for transportations, allowance for
food, and for other expenses. So he needs to work for it. He tried to work as a construction
worker, unfortunately when he was on his job training instead of making a pile of hollow blocks,
he piled the hollow blocks with a shape of an ice cream. Who would accept that work? Luckily,
the foreman isn’t that cruel for him to grab dad out of the building. After realizing that he and
construction really don’t mix dad tried to find another job. He became a sales agent. Well, that
would probably fit for him, traveling, conducting a survey, and selling. That’s what he wants!
After working for four years he finally graduated in College. For dad, that’s heaven.
After graduation, he took the Board exam right away, luckily he passed the exam just on
his first try. He became not just a professional teacher but a National Awardee in his job. It is all
because of his hard work. As what he said, successful people are not gifted, they just work hard
then succeed on purpose.

RUTH V. GRANDE