We all make mistakes. It's part of our fallible nature as human beings. We make bad decisions, we try, we fail. Our entire lives are shaped by the decisions we make and the actions we take, yet failure is rampant among us. Life throws us curve balls, we swing and we miss. Bad things happen. Things we don't expect, things out of our control. So what are we supposed to do when things go wrong? If fallibility is part of human nature then are we doomed to just lay down and accept our fate? No, we have a choice to make.
There are only two options when something goes wrong - we can either: A) lay down and accept what has happened, what "fate" has presented us, or B) we can begin working toward a solution. The answer seems obvious right? Then why do so many people struggle with failure? It's not as easy as it may seem. Bad news, failure and consequence can suck the life out of you. Leaving a full-time job to open your own business and realizing you're having a hard time paying the bills can suck. Getting the news that a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer can be life changing. Training all year for a competition and then getting injured in the final round can deflate you to the point of nearly giving up on a sport you love.
As I'm sure you can guess, all of these things have happened to me at various points in my life. And with each of these life events I foolishly went with choice "A". But what I've realized is that choice "A" is weak, it's taking the easy way out. It's easier to accept another position working for someone else than it is to continue to fight for your business. It's easier to lock yourself in your room and cry than to come out and face reality. It's easier to make excuses and use a plaguing injury as a reason to abandon what was once one of your life goals. Well I say no more taking the easy way out. Eliminate option A, it doesn't exist. There is only one choice. Tell yourself that when things go wrong the one and only thing you should do, the one and only thing you can do, is begin working on a solution. Resilience is one of our defining human traits and happens to be a perfect dance partner with fallibility. We improve because we make mistakes. We become stronger because things go wrong. We become wiser because we make bad decisions.
So next time something goes wrong, next time you try and you fail; look at it as a blessing. As an opportunity to grow. An opportunity to become better. There is no option A. Next time something goes wrong, do what we do best and look for a solution. Begin to come up with a way to fix it, a way to make the best of the situation. There is no option A. Look for the silver lining.
The path to success isn't a flat, freshly paved highway; it's a jagged, rocky mountain that will leave you bloody and bruised. But I've heard that the view at the top is totally worth it. There is no option A.