"Congrats, You Failed! Welcome to the Club of Legends"

Look, I’d love to tell you I was born a genius, a prodigy, a natural at everything I touched. But I wasn’t. My first attempt at riding a bike? Ended with a bruised knee and a deep distrust of gravity. First time baking a cake? Smoke was all over, and the cat still won’t enter the kitchen. First job interview? Let’s just say my answer to “Where do you see yourself in five years?” was “Hopefully not still in this interview.”

The truth is, not everyone gets it right the first time—and that includes me, you, and even history’s greatest minds. Edison didn’t invent the lightbulb overnight; he spent years failing at it first. (Frankly, I think his neighbors were just relieved when he finally got it right—candles weren’t cheap.)

My Personal History of First-Time Failures

Learning to Drive

They say driving is a rite of passage. I say it’s a death-defying act of bravery, especially if you happened to be in the passenger seat that day. First time behind the wheel, I confused the brake and accelerator. The driving instructor aged ten years in thirty seconds. To this day, I believe he retired early because of me.

Cooking Like a Pro (or at Least Not a Fire Hazard)

Cooking shows make it look so easy. “Just a pinch of this, a splash of that,” they say. What they don’t tell you is that a “pinch” is subjective and that paprika and cinnamon are not interchangeable. I served my first homemade dish with so much confidence that I didn’t understand why my guests suddenly had urgent plans elsewhere.

My Attempt at DIY Home Improvement

Some people have a natural talent for fixing things. I am not one of those people. First time I tried to hang a shelf, I followed a YouTube tutorial that assured me it was “easy.” What it failed to mention was that a wall stud is not just a suggestion—it’s a requirement. Ten minutes later, the shelf collapsed under the weight of a single book, and I now have a decorative hole in my wall that I tell guests is “modern art.”

The Beauty of Getting It Wrong

But here’s the thing: getting it wrong is part of getting it right. You learn, adapt, and eventually, you laugh about it. My driving has improved (no one grips the dashboard in fear anymore). I can now make an edible meal (most of the time). And romance? Well, at least I know now that confidence beats sweaty palms.

So the next time you fail, remember: not everyone gets it right the first time. And if you ever need proof, just ask my old driving instructor. If you can find him.