The Stories We Tell Ourselves

Did I really fail? It’s easy to be driven by harsh metrics. I need to reach this! And if I don’t get this, this, and that, then it’s a total failure! But in these moments are the stories we tell ourselves really true? If something falls flat externally, but you loved making it / working on it, was it really a failure? And if you lose someone you care about, who didn’t fit you right and actually caused you pain, was it truly a failure?