Dealing with Failure
“Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.”
-Elbert Hubbard
Failure is an inescapable part of life. There will be times when things don’t go according to plan. Failure can come with a whole host of consequences. Your personal life and career can both be altered by mistakes, bad choices, and accidents, but how you choose to handle these events can change the overall outcome.
You are in control of your reactions. You can’t always control every single aspect of your life; however, you can control your reactions and by extension some of the subsequent reactions that follow. Each situation is different and the consequences vary from slight to life-altering, but being too upset, hurting yourself, or those around you do not improve the situation.
Every setback can help you grow and help you realize what’s most important to you. Until you’re in a situation where something precious to you in on the line, it can be difficult to realize what you value most. In knowing this you can work towards valuing and caring for those things you deem precious.
Look for the positives. Sometimes a bad situation may be the catalyst for good events further down the line, and even if they are not, doing your best to see the silver lining can help alter your perspective to something more positive. People deal with failure and mishaps differently, but don’t allow it to take you to the depths of despair.
When you reach the bottom, you have nowhere to go but up. Failure is hardly a pleasant experience, and sometimes it will drag you to the very bottom of your existence, but you can choose to let it make you or break you.