Well, it wasn't too long ago when I was going through a bit of a personal struggle. And it involved failure.

I thought I would use my second-to-last blog of 2012 to reflect on a moment that happened in my life recently that caused me to have these feelings of being knocked down, and how a dear friend helped me, through a minute-long YouTube video, find the strength to get right back up and the motivation to keep right on going.

Just about every single person living on Earth has experienced failure, or a feeling of failure, in their lifetime. Given my own experiences, the thought of it can truly mess with your emotional state of being. I admit to have fallen victim to this on several occasions. Not just here in GameSpot, but throughout my life in general. The feeling of failure often leads to a feeling of inadequacy and/or hopelessness and inferiority. People tell you that you're not good enough, or you don't have what it takes. You constantly fall to the floor, dropping your basket of eggs, and get lost on the way to the finish line. You compare yourself with others who have succeeded in their lives. You feel nobody is willing to give you a chance. You feel judged by your shortcomings, and allow it to cloud your perceptions in a way that you don't even want to try anymore.

If I can offer some solace, I'd like to remind each and every one of you that failure is a choice. Nothing more, nothing less. If you stumble and fall when you're running a marathon, you'll have only failed if you don't get right back up. If you bomb a math test, you'll have only really failed if you don't make any effort in analyzing what you had done wrong so you do not repeat the same mistakes again, and study harder for the next. If you invent a new product and it breaks down, you'll have only failed if you don't go back to the drawing board and analyze the problem. If you're playing an incredibly difficult video game that you believe is so impossible that it cannot be beaten, you will have only failed if you throw your controller against a wall and trade the game in for $15 store credit.

Furthermore, if you let anyone tell you that you're a failure, and you believe their lies, then you are a failure.

For me, it is a learning process. Yet, as I progress through life and look ahead to a glorious new year, I'm reminded of the fact that, in spite of my numerous setbacks, I've somehow managed to get through each and every one of them because the thought of 'failure' leaves me -- much like a paper cut or a knee scrape that heals overtime. I'm encouraged to keep going, looking ever ahead and never looking back.

One person I have to truly thank for giving me a new perspective is my friend @-saigo-. It was a little YouTube video he linked to me not too long ago that continues to be an incredible source of inspiration. If I didn't thank you properly in the past, -saigo-san-, allow me to thank you from the bottom of my heart now. If you'd like to see the video, click here. If as many people viewed this vid as they did Gangnam Style, the world might be a better place.

May it give you inspiration and confidence not just this Christmas season, but for the years beyond and for the life you were meant to live.