Setbacks

On the other side of every problem, there is an opportunity. On the other side of discouragement, there is joy. Think of where you were going before the disappointment knocked you off track. Yes, you’ve had a temporary setback. So what? It’s over now, and the very best thing you can do is to quickly get back in the game, get back on track, get headed positively in the direction of your goals. Look at your situation from a future-oriented perspective. You’ve had a learning experience, you’ve had a growth experience, you become stronger, and now you are even more highly motivated than before. The setbacks cannot defeat you, the obstacles cannot stand in your way. You are in control of your destiny. Nothing as trivial and insignificant as the disappointment you’ve recently experienced can stop you. You have committed, you have decided precisely where you want to go, what you want to accomplish, who you want to become. No fleeting negative situation can stop you.

If you are having setbacks that’s great! Because it means you are making the effort to move forward. Consider the alternative. If you had no setbacks, it would mean you were not making any progress at all. It would mean that you were not even making the attempt. Be grateful for those setbacks because they are an indication of your willingness and your commitment to move forward. Be grateful for what they teach you. Be grateful for the strength they can build in you. Be grateful for the endurance, for the knowledge, for the experience you’ve gained.

You can’t prevent every setback. You wouldn’t want to. What you can do and what you must do if you are to achieve your goals is to make it your top priority to recover quickly from those setbacks and get back on track.

In every effort there will be interruptions, disappointments, even some disasters. Your recovery time depends largely on what you decide to do each time a setback comes. The time and energy you put into anger and pity will serve mainly to prolong the time it takes to get going again. So forget about feeling sorry for yourself. Forget about being angry. Make the commitment to move forward. Don’t let your setback get the best of you. You are stronger than it is. You are stronger than any disappointment that can come your way.

Accept that the setbacks will come and when they do, make the decision to move quickly past them. Experience them for what they are, look for the positive in them, then move on beyond them by taking positive actions which will create value for yourself and others.

Winners and losers both stumble. Winners stumble more often, because they have learned how to quickly get back up and get going again. When you stumble enough, and get back up quickly enough, you’ll surely arrive at precisely where you want to be.