This is the story of a failure that reshaped who I am. To tell it, I need to take you back decadesto a time when I was young, ambitious, and unprepared for the blow that awaited me. I had cleared the officer-level exams for the Indian Army, a grueling test of intellect and determination. The next step was the interview, and I walked in with the quiet confidence of someone who’d already tasted victory. But I failed. Miserably. It wasn’t just a setbackit was a shockwave. I hadn’t seen it coming, and for days, I wandered in a haze, replaying the moment without understanding what had gone wrong. Then something shifted. My inner resolve woke up and took the reins. I stopped sulking and started dissecting. I retraced every step of the processevery question, every glance, every second I’d spent in that room. I analyzed it with brutal honesty, rethinking… How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?