Sometimes you fail not because you are not good enough.
It could be your environment.
For example, people and work surroundings can trigger chronic stress. You think that is normal, so you accept it and live with it.
Then your elevated cortisol suppresses immune function.1See Stress and Immunity by LibreTexts Medicine.
You get ill frequently, making it hard to study or work. Even when you are not sick, your body experiences chronic low-level inflammation.
You feel fatigued, hard to concentrate.
So when study materials or job tasks become even a bit more difficult, you can’t learn well. You keep failing.
You start to falsely believe that you are too stupid for university, for doing your job, or even for getting a job.
Yes, maybe you feel stupid and like a loser.
These labels are not just unhelpful; they are also scientifically unsupported.
I have learned in Microbiology that even bacteria change based on their surroundings. They sense other bacterial species and their physical environment and adapt by changing their phenotype.
And they are just single-cell organisms!
You, as a human, have far more sophisticated sensory faculties.
So even if you’re not aware of it, your mind and body sense how other humans and the environment treat you. To adapt, you change, sometimes for the worse.
I am not asking you to see yourself as a helpless victim. As a lecturer and a professional trainer, I believe in personal responsibility.
Yes, it is true that our environment can awfully influence our thoughts, behaviours, and overall well-being.
It does not mean we are powerless in the face of these influences.
Consider that history is filled with examples of individuals who have overcome incredibly adverse environments to achieve great success. Think of people who have risen from poverty, survived oppressive regimes, or transcended toxic relationships to make meaningful contributions to the world.
These stories are not just outliers.
They highlight a fundamental truth about human potential—our ability to adapt, learn, and grow despite our circumstances.
When I ask you to look around for the toxic aspects of your environment, it isn’t about blaming others; it’s about understanding your context.
Step back and reflect on the conditions you’ve been adapting to.
By recognising these factors, you can start making changes to be healthier. That is the first step out of failure.2Failure can be a gift, not in the motivational sense. See The Gift of Failure: Discovering Your Path.
Notes:
- 1See Stress and Immunity by LibreTexts Medicine.
- 2Failure can be a gift, not in the motivational sense. See The Gift of Failure: Discovering Your Path.