Like victory, defeat is also a part of life. And we must accept that at some point in time, we have faced defeat in our life. But should we give up on that defeat, or should we strengthen our morale again to prepare for the subsequent victory?
No one likes defeat, but we all must learn something from the failure in our life. Today's loss prepares us for tomorrow's victory. It teaches us where we have made mistakes and where we can correct them now.
History is witness that even great kings have seen their significant defeats. But the kings who learned something from their failure created history, otherwise many kings lost in the pages of history somewhere.
Why is it so hard to forgive ourselves? Is the defeat too tough to digest, or does failure make us so weak that we are no more capable of fighting again and accepting the challenges further?
We fear defeat; we hesitate to face it at any time. And even if we do get defeated, we let it dominate us so much that it does not allow us to move forward in life. This act makes us believe that we are a failure and cannot move forward in life.
Five strategies can help you move on in your life even if you face failure.
Do Not Make Your Failure Personal
Many of us start believing that failure becomes one's identity if it comes across. But this is not the fact. Just because you have not succeeded this time does not mean or state that you're a failure. These thoughts are entirely illogical. Thus, separate the tag of failure with yourself because it will further weaken your confidence and self-esteem.
KFC owner, Colonel Sanders was only six years old when his father passed away. Shouldering the responsibilities of his family, he falied multiple times. He was dropped out from the school, got fired from his several jobs, failed multiple times in his business. And his own 'secreat recipe' of KFC chicken was rejected 1,009 times before getting HIT in the market.
Learn From The Failure
When you fail, analyse it profoundly and eagerly. Then, learn from your failure without being driven by your emotions. Understand what didn't work in your case that caused the damage? And what can be done to avoid failure next time? Remember, learn from your mistakes, and treat your failure as your teacher who can guide you further.
Thomas Edison hold the record for most failed 10,000 attempts while discovering a functional light bulb. His response became famous to everyone - "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."
Do Not Let Defeat Overwhelm You
It doesn't feel good when efforts don't result in a winning outcome. It can make anyone overwhelm for a time but do not let these emotions overpower you. The more you get into your feelings, the more failure will capture your mind. Thus, come out of these emotions and now think about making the present better and future secured. The time gone is gone forever, but learn something good from it and move forward with optimistic hopes and feelings.
Oprah Winfrey, an owner of a famous American Talk Show - The Oprah Winfrey Show, was born into poverty to a single teenage mother. She was molested during her childhood and early teens and became pregnant at 14. Her son died soon after due to premature birth. She struggled a lot in her teenage and career, but now she has a net worth of $2.7 Billion.
Do Not Ask For Others Approval
Once you face a failure, the others will keep you derailed until and unless you want to move forward. It is you who can do it if you wish. But if you wait for others' approval for the same, you will not make it anytime in your life. There will be thousands of people around you who will keep you demotivated and will associate the word 'failure' with you by and then. But do not let them intervene in your progress. Keep moving forward, and have faith in your efforts. Remember, efforts never get wasted.
Soichiro Honda was rejected by an HR manager at Toyota Motor Corporation when he applied for an engineering job, leaving him jobless until he began making scooters in his garage and eventually founded Honda Motor Company.
Change Your Perspective Towards Failure
To take failure positively, it is essential to change the perspective towards failure. We have an upbringing with the thought the loss is terrible, winning is good. However, in an objective and practical sense, failure helps you to learn more. It acts as a teacher to guide you properly for the future.
Therefore, now, if you meet failure in your path anytime in future, think like you are just one step closer to success. You have received one more chance to learn and understand more so that you can achieve dynamic success.
It is hardly ever seen that whoever has achieved success in their life have never faced any failure. Failure leads to the path of success. It is your motivator to work hard for success. After all, a successful person never gives up on defeat.
This Post is a part of BlogChatter's Half Marathon 2021