Throughout our lives we are going to put ourselves up as a candidate for selection. We are going to hope that some person or organization will select us.

Sometimes we will be selected and other times we will not.

It can be disappointing to not be selected. Some people equate not being selected as failure; as some shortcoming in their character or efforts.

Not being selected is not failure.

Not being selected is an outcome that is based on your skill, effort, and luck.

You can control skill and effort. You can't control luck.

"I make my own luck." No, you don't. You enhance your skill and effort so that you could "possibly" reduce bad luck. I say "possibly" because it's a fool's errand to try to reduce something that will always be there, out of your control.

When you have a good outcome, it is easy to think it's because of your skill and effort and forget good luck. When you have a bad outcome, it is comforting to dismiss it as bad luck.

Skill + Effort + Luck = Good or Bad Outcome.

True failure is in not trying at all.