How to Bounce Back from Failure.

What does the phrase “Bounce back” mean? I remember one of my friends reiterating the fact how he was a good bike rider, every time we came close to a “near miss” experience with other vehicles on the road. The incident happened recently and his explanation came as a response to my evident fear and subsequent request to “be on the safer side of the road”. He didn’t like hearing that, much as the Gen Y lot of entrepreneurs who take pride in having made peace with their failures. As I was still reeling off the near miss incident on the road, my biker friend explained to me his version of looking at incidents such as these: “You must compare this journey with the journey of life. We come into this world, learn the ropes, come face-to-face with hiccups and learn to bounce back to focus ‘on the road ahead’. Have the right attitude, learn from mistakes and move on.” I was dumbfounded at the analogy drawn and thanked my friend for the explanation that hit the bull’s eye, aside from giving me food for thought for my current article.

If only it was easier done than said.

Everyone is bound to face failures in different stages of life. The ones who claim to have remained unaffected by it are either lying or aren’t as successful as those who have failed (been there) and collected themselves right back up (done that). If you are averse to facing failures, chances are that you are browbeaten by the growth possibilities it offers. Let us see how overcoming failure can be a mix of resilience and the right attitude.

Solving is Necessary: Be realists and be optimists. Keep ready with a B-plan when faced with a sudden problem. Become a problem solver and don’t fret about the bygones.

Shift the Focus: Don’t focus on yourself when grey skies have engulfed you. Remember, the farther you are from negativity, the more insight, positivity and wisdom you can gain from your encounter with the failure.

What’s in the Name? Oh, you heard Mr X’s new venture failed miserably?”, “He was always a no-calibre-guy, what’s the brouhaha about?” While critics will do what they are best at – criticise, you should focus on what is best for you – start again.

Failures are Teachers: Some say one should fail on purpose while others counsel you to take a leap of faith in pursuit of your dream, to fail but successfully. So go the whole hog and ditch mediocrity.

Disappointments can be turned into meaningful successes if you yearn to find learning in your failure. You must know that there isn’t anything personal and given that in life nothing is certain, one has to keep going and keep finding opportunities in the most adverse of situations.

Quit Giving Up.

The only thing that stands between you and your dreams is you. Dreams go unrealised because people simply give up when faced with setbacks. Circumstances can be challenging, but there is a long list of people who have found success despite all odds. You know why? It is because they broke the mould, they stayed out of their comfort zone, remained committed to their aim of achieving success. They quit giving up and kept trying.

Five people who did not give up.

1. Bill Gates: A Harvard’s drop-out, his Traf-O-Data (first business) with Microsoft Co-Founder, Paul Allen, failed. Today, Microsoft is one the biggest companies in the world, making him one of the richest entrepreneurs.

2. Oprah Winfrey: We’ve all heard stories of the ordeals that have made her into what she is today. From being fired as a TV reporter citing “unfit for TV” as the reason, to having faced a course childhood, she has seen it all. And yet, everyone knows of her contribution to the TV space and the never-say-die attitude. She’s not only one of the world’s richest women, but one of the most influential faces of all times in the history of television.

3. J.K. Rowling: She did not go through life broke, but she was nearly there. Raising her child on her own after divorce, she attended school while writing the Harry Potter novels. Five years later, everyone involved, from publishers to the director of films based out of her novels, became internationally famous.

4. Vincent Van Gogh: By acclamation, he is one of the greatest artists of all time. He, during his lifetime, sold only one painting to his friend for a measly amount. The paintings that get sold for a record selling-price today made him starve while he drew them, displaying a level of absolute dedication and loyalty to his work.

5. Charlie Chaplin: When the big Hollywood studios rejected Charlie Chaplin thinking he was too non-serious to be sold, would they have known that he was to become the face of comedy in films.

Never give up and surrender to the situation, however worse. Always strive to do better, to keep trying until you are excellent at it. Once you take the chosen road ahead, don’t keep looking back. Steer ahead and bee a winner!

Quit Giving Up! Keep Trying!