RESILIENCE

THE PLACE OF RESILIENCE IN SUCCESS

“I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it.” – Maya Angelou

The rate at which young people are springing up with ideas of change and societal development increases with time. Many youths are finally catching the vision of much needed change that their society needs, and have begun to rise up to the challenge of being change makers. However, while some have been able to lift their idea off the ground, some have sadly been unable to do likewise. I have spoken with many teen girls and guys who have told me at different times of their decision to let go of their dreams, because of setback which they encountered while trying to lift their “big idea off the ground.”

In the words of Woodrow Wilson, the difference between a strong man and a weak one is that the former does not give up after a defeat. Many times, the setbacks we experience are not a result of our inadequacies but our unpreparedness. Sometimes, failure is life’s way of telling us that we need to put in more work than we already have. That is why Nelson Mandela said, “I never lose. Sometimes I win, sometimes I learn.” 

Henry Ford was one of the most renowned entrepreneurs of his time, but he had several major missteps before he made it big. He lost the backing of investors and his board of directors dissolved his first company. But, Ford learned from each failure and became even more determined to realize his dream of building a quality, mass-produced automobile. He eventually came up with the design for the Model T and became one of the wealthiest men in the world. But, without dogged determination, he would have gotten nowhere.

How you view life’s setbacks matters. The setback is not really in failing, but in refusing to try again. Great people who have made their marks in history, but those who took it as a challenge to create a better version of themselves each time they failed. Thomas Edison never got his project – the light bulb – right, until they one thousandth time. He must have looked stupid and unserious, trying the same project time and time again. But his resilient nature resulted in the light bulb we cannot do without today.

There are different equations to success. Repeated failure may be part of that equation, but it will toughen your spirit and you will begin to see the way forward with clarity and purpose. As long as you are convinced of the relevance of your vision, keep pursuing it with doggedness and resilience. Remember, you will never know what made you fall if you remain on the ground.

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
― Confucius