Written by Kristin Barton Cuthriell M.Ed, MSW, LCSW

Success doesn’t look like an inclined plane. It looks more like a staircase with two steps up, one step back, two steps up, one step back. If you do not stop climbing when you take a step back, you will get to where you are going.

Thomas Edison attempted to create the light bulb thousands of times before he was finally successful.  Michael Jordan did not make the varsity basketball team as a sophomore in high school. Henry Ford had two unsuccessful attempts trying to create a company to manufacture automobiles before Ford Motor Company was established. J.K. Rowling was turned down by multiple publishing houses before one decided to invest in her book, Harry Potter.

At some point in your life you will lose a game, you will get knocked down, and you will feel the uncomfortable sting of rejection. This, in life, is inevitable. But it is what you learn from the experience and how you react to the set-back that matters. Will you stay down and accept defeat or will you get back up, dust yourself off, reflect on lessons learned, decide what you need to do differently, and persevere? It is your choice.

In Joel Osteen’s book, Your Best Life Now, Osteen states, “The trial is a test of your faith, character, and endurance.” Are you up for the test? Don’t let your fear get in the way of achieving your dreams. Fight fear with faith and ask God for guidance in all of your endeavours. In order to live a more fulfilling life you will have to make yourself vulnerable and risk possible defeat and rejection.  Without taking this risk, you may miss out on reaching your true potential. Set-backs are opportunities to grow, taking you one step closer to reaching your goal.

Next Post: Life Lesson Number Two