People tend to feel that, as humans, we are more likely to notice mistakes we’ve made or mistakes others have made before we notice our own or others’ successes. We all know it’s harder to become successful than it is to fail. Becoming a successful person is what everyone wants in life. No matter what people choose to do with their lives, becoming successful is everyone’s long-term goal.
Although being successful gives you an amazing feeling, most people who have success have either made a mistake or failed in an endeavor that they’ve attempted to conquer. For example, during the 2010 World Cup, English goalie Robert Green made the biggest mistake of his career.
During his game against the United States and after only four minutes into the first half, the United States allowed English Captain Steven Gerrard to score and gain the lead extremely early on in the game. During the 14th minute of the match, United States player Clint Dempsey took a very slow-paced shot right towards Green. On a normal day, that shot would be an easy save for him. But it was not a normal day for Green, who accidentally allowed the ball to go right past him. The ball hit the back of the net, resulting in a 1-1 score. This would go on to be the final score of the game, which gave English fans a reason to be disappointed in Green. Because the United States and England are big rivals, English fans will not forgive Green for the mistake. Although Green has done an excellent job in other games for England, people still tend to remember when he gave this important win away. Everyone is aware that the World Cup is the biggest soccer tournament in the world, and when Green let that goal in, the whole world had the ability to comment on and see his mistake.
Making mistakes is a part of life. Without making mistakes, we wouldn’t be able to learn how to do things the right way. After you mess up, you are able to evaluate what you did wrong and figure out which decisions prevented your success. When Green let that ball in, he immediately knew that he had made a huge mistake. The negative remarks people screamed at him from the stands will live with him for the rest of his life. If Green had his way, he would have made that save, but he didn’t. Giving him grief for the mistake he made will not change the past. When people make mistakes, they are quite aware of it.
“At Elizabethtown College, I get the feeling that there are more people worried about if other people are failing than people being concerned with supporting the students who are attempting to be successful,” sophomore Zach Nichols said. “If we start to focus on supporting our fellow classmates, it can only help our college in a positive way.” If people are getting a negative feeling while walking through campus, it may be because they are not being supported by the people who surround them every day.
The students and faculty need to evaluate the way they treat people not only on campus, but also in every situation. If the College’s faculty and students start to concentrate on supporting the people who are attempting to become successful, it can only result in people making fewer mistakes while becoming more successful by the minute.
When people give support to the ones in need, it will positively affect all of the people involved. There is not one person living on this planet who has not made a mistake before. Without mistakes, this world would be a perfect place. But this is not the case. Billions of mistakes are made each day. By becoming more supportive of the people who are trying their hardest to become successful, success will come easier to the one being supported. It will also result in the supporters’ positivity, especially after others accomplish their goals.
