By Elizabeth Herman | Posted: October 22, 2019
Dorothy M. Neddermeyer said, “Life is ten percent what you experience and ninety percent how you respond to it.”
How do you respond to failure? Failure, an inevitable part of life that’s painful for everyone, can temporarily damage your belief in yourself and your motivation to get things done. But it’s up to you to fix those dents and move on in stride.
What kinds of responses can repair your confidence, commitment, and drive? Here’s a list of eight constructive ways to bounce back when failure crushes your feelings of assurance and inspiration, and some eloquent quotes to illustrate them:
Look for learning from any failure.
“Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.” – Richard Branson
Pay attention to feelings and embrace them without letting them win.
“I have self-doubt. I have insecurity. I have a fear of failure. I have nights when I show up at the arena and I'm like, 'My back hurts, my feet hurt, my knees hurt. I don't have it. I just want to chill.' We all have self-doubt. You don't deny it, but you also don't capitulate to it. You embrace it.” -- Kobe Bryant
Talk to someone who encourages you.
“If we can share our story with someone who responds with empathy and understanding, shame can't survive.” ― Brené Brown
Focus on what motivated you in the first place, and renew your commitment.
“When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you until it seems that you cannot hold on for a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time when the tide will turn.” -- Harriet Beecher Stowe
Use setbacks as stepping stones to build success.
“You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don’t try to forget the mistakes, but you don’t dwell on it. You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.” ― Johnny Cash
Study soft skills like confidence and belief in your talents.
“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.” – Marie Curie
Meditate to develop intuition and see the bigger picture. The bigger perspective, as shown in the video, means those involved in success and failure are not really different, but all part of the same process, on the same revolving merry-go-round.
“Meditation makes you sharper, happier, and more intuitive. Don't you want intuition? Don't you want the right thought to come to you at the right time?” — Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi ShankarPut one foot in front of the other, one day at a time.
“Meet today’s problems with today’s strength. Don’t start tackling tomorrow’s problems until tomorrow. You do not yet have tomorrow’s strength. You have only enough for today.” -- Max Lucado
On the job market and as a single mother of two, sometimes I felt stuck in a deep pit, especially when the kids were little. But continuing with the regular practices that I learned during the Art of Living courses helped me get through graduate school, even with heavy parenting, teaching and studying responsibilities. Instead of sinking into normal human despair, I breathed through the process of learning from repeated failures and moved on with more confidence.
For a more in-depth experience of confidence building, acceptance of inevitable discouraging situations, and inspiration to motivate you, consider Art of Living’s Happiness Program at a location near you. See us on Facebook and Twitter.
Elizabeth Herman writes, offers writing support to clients, teaches, and volunteers for a better world. She has a PhD in Rhetoric, Composition and Literature. Find her on Facebook or Twitter.
