Another Stepping Stone

Rarity Level: Exclusives

Stitching Details:
0001 - 0100: Gold
0101+: Silver

Product Details:
-Laser engraved serial number on the tag
-PANTONE® printed ultra-premium elastic
-Unique reversible design
-Number-matching Collector's card
-Individually packed within a protective, resealable sleeve
-Fits wrists between 5.25" and 7.25"
-Click here for care instructions

People Details:
-Handmade with love
-Happiness Guaranteed
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Story:
It was the last day of my junior year in college, right before the summer break. The sun was out, the birds were chirping, and the excitement was in the air of no school for the next three months. So far, it was looking like a good day. I had been confined to the four walls of my bedroom, studying for final exams, for what felt like months and now, I was just hours away from freedom. I sat down at my desk to take my last exam, quite nervous as this had been the hardest class in my college career thus far. Even though I had struggled throughout this course, I was optimistic that I was going to ace this final and make my comeback to earn the grade I deserved. As I answered the final questions of the test, I began to feel relieved. The test felt fairly easy, and I was thrilled to see my grade in just a few moments. That feeling of relief quickly developed into a much different feeling. Tears welled up in my eyes and a lump formed in my throat as I found out that I had failed the test. Not only had I failed the test, but that grade brought me down to a final grade in the class of a whopping D-. I had worked so hard all semester, only to finish the class with a failing grade.

I was beside myself trying to figure out how this could have happened. After days of dwelling on it, I finally decided to let it go. There was no changing the past, the grade was determined, and all I could control at this point were my own actions and attitudes going forward. Even though I felt I had not deserved such a grade, I decided to take the situation and see the good in it. Yes, I had failed, but now I had even more drive to work harder in the next semester to raise my GPA again. To prove to myself, that one grade does not define me, and I can still achieve what I want to with the minor setback. At the end of the day, I would still end up graduating, I would still find a job, and although it may have felt like it, that grade was not the end of the world.

With each setback in life, we have two choices. The first being to label ourselves as failures, dwell on the negative, and let it define who we are. The second being that we can use that setback as a stepping stone to our comeback. We can choose to acknowledge that with every struggle, there is a lesson learned that helps us push forward and grow into an even better version of ourselves. We are not failures, our mistakes do not define us, and we are all capable of achieving greatness, no matter what challenges we face. As Henry Ford once said, “The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.”

Artist:
Daneisha Kirksey

Release Date: 6.30.19