<p>Alright so the prompt was "Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn?" I'm not really sure if my essay is answering the question or not, since I haven't had anyone help me with this. Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>Essay:</p>
<p>I have playing the alto saxophone for 4 years now, and the time came during my junior year when I could audition for the school band that had received so many awards over the last 2 decades. People in my band assured me that I was going to make it, which gave my confidence a significant boost. I practiced tirelessly for months, and despite being humble about how far I had come over the past few years, I convinced myself that I deserved that spot on the roster. I'm sure you saw this coming, but I didn't make it, and was going to stay in the same band I was in for my last year of high school. I was bitter, enraged, and flurry of emotions came over me. I started to harbor a grudge against the guy who made it over me. For more than a month I had a negative outlook on things, feeling like I had been snubbed of that spot.</p>
<p>After two months or so, when the disappointment toward my band director's choice and the guy who beat me deflated, I realized that all I did in that one month span was make myself miserable. The feelings I portrayed didn't affect them at all -- in fact, they were blind of the fact that I resented them. I was wasting my time and energy in a dark space, obsessing over something that was completely out of my control and something that wouldn't ruin my life. My family tried to comfort me, and by hearing their stories, I realized how easy I had it. They went through heartaches, lost family members trying to create a better life for another. My mother and father left their family, so that my sister and I wouldn't have to endure the hardships they did, my aunt's husband was diagnosed with multiple tumors in his liver, friends of mine were losing loved ones due to tragedies I couldn't begin to imagine.</p>
<p>Yes, this is a common story for teenagers, even college students, but it had a genuine effect on me as a person. When I realized how pointless it was for me to channel my anger and resentment toward other human beings, I vowed to have a more positive outlook on life, and not dwell on things that I couldn't control. Of course, not making the cut hurt, but who wouldn't be? I still got to do what I loved, to play my saxophone on a daily basis. Besides, the one person who made it was a dear friend of mine, and he worked as hard, if not harder, to make it to the band.</p>
<p>The decision not to hold a grudge allowed me to focus on the bigger things in life, like my family, my studies, and the fact that I'm going to be in college soon. The best part? I got to play solos for the band I was in, which would not have been possible had I been in the other band. The feeling was better than my confidence in myself so many months ago. Being given the solos was possibly the best thing that happened to me.</p>
<p>The lesson I learned from not making the top band was worth more than the satisfaction I would have received had I gotten in. I learned that it doesn't matter how you perform, whether it's on stage, or if it's for life, being successful means doing what you love. Having money, fame, and fortune aren't success stories if you hate what you do. This is a piece of wisdom I will cherish for the rest of my life, and I'm sure it will make life a lot more worthwhile than it could be. As a wise man once said, "It's not how far you fall, it's how high you bounce back that counts."</p>