When I first started college, I thought I had everything figured out. Spoiler: I didn’t. I struggled with time management and motivation, falling into the trap of relying too much on natural ability rather than actual discipline. It wasn’t until I stumbled — and fell hard — that I began to understand the value of failure.

Like the ocean, failure humbles you. It knocks you around until you learn how to swim with the current, not against it. The moment I owned my mistakes, everything changed. I became more focused, more intentional, and more resilient.

In a world that rewards constant achievement, we sometimes forget that growth often starts at rock bottom — or in my case, at low tide.