Ask
yourself this question, "where do you stand?" In other words are you pleased with your
status? Are you pleased with your progress toward your goal, whether your goal is educational, spiritual, or physical? Hopefully, you will honestly think
about this question. If you are unable
to declare a positive self inventory, then I suggest that you Learn to become resilient.
When an
individual experiences disappointment, what occurs afterward determines his/her
level of resilience. Mainly, resilience entails the ability to spring
back. For instance, if you get knocked down from making a "F" in
your math course, how do you respond? Usually, one will become depressed, upset, and even outraged because
of the failing grade. Some individuals see only hopelessness and develop the quit- now syndrome by expressing--"I just quit; I give
up; College is not for me!" However, I encourage you to
learn to develop resilience. Learn to bounce back like a punching bag. Despite
the severity of the blow, learn how to bounce back even if you receive
multiply hits, just bounce back. A punching bag constantly returns to a
standing position despite how many hits it receives; it keeps bouncing back.
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| One can learn a lot from a simple Bozo the Clown punching bag. |
How does it remain standing from
multiply hits? The answer relies in the weights at the bottom of the bag. When a hit occurs, the weight always remains in place while the air floats to the top causing the bag to return to its original upright stance. So if the bag
receives a hit, it goes down, but it always returns to its original stance even if the bag receives several blows. Likewise, you
too can place weights in your foundation while allowing the event that caused the setback to flow away. With this weighed foundation, as you get knocked down you will
return to your original goal.
To practice resilience first, realize that your goal whether
educational, spiritual, or physical reflects your true goal not someone else's goal for you. Secondly, you must understand that failure
allows you to develop who you are and understand what you must do to accomplish that goal. Failure never intends to make you feel unworthy, but it enables you to recognize the needed skill sets for success. Finally, realize that a resilient person resembles an optimist. An optimist engages in positive thoughts despite the circumstances. Therefore, a resilient person sees a setback different from the average person. The average person will see a half-filled glass of water as half empty but the resilient person sees the same glass as half full. So if you are experiencing a setback look for positive outcomes instead of the negative vibes while allowing the setback to float away from your foundation (goal).
Now, stay
on course toward your original goal and exercise resilience.
