Recently, while I was spending some time with family and friends. We were discussing a close family member's upcoming shoulder surgery - talking about the loss of use of his dominant arm, the impending changes coming to him and the challenges he will face.
We went further. We discussed the small things in life - our limbs, our fingers, our toes and the ever so crucial role each play in the smallest details of our life. Decades ago, my grandfather lost several fingers in a work accident. His life changed forever - holding a drink or a pen, putting on shoes and socks was never as easy.
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My grandfather never let this slow him down. In fact, he had one of the strongest grips of any man I have ever known.
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You see, the most successful people learn how to transform a setback into a launching pad for greatness. They learn how to use what others perceive as a weakness into a strength.
Every survival story has a common thread. The person never quits, never gives up, and always gets back up after a perceived failure.
Regardless of the circumstances - irrespective of the difficulty in front of us -- we must have the tenacity and willpower to fight on regardless of the outcome.
Learning how to find the silver lining in every situation is difficult but necessary. I don't claim to have mastered life by any means, but learning this secret has changed my life.
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What issue are you facing? What goal do you want to achieve? Have a plan, then act. Do something. Don't just talk about what you want to do. Do it.
Sure, you may not succeed the first time, but keep fighting. Sure, you may not be the best right out of the gate, but keep swinging. Think about some of the most inspiring people you know, I bet they've had their fair share of challenges to overcome.
I can almost guarantee you they wanted to quit but didn't. Find a way to dig in, and find the reason you are still fighting. No one will ever be able to take you out if you do.
Think about J.K. Rowling, Albert Einstein, Stephen King, or even Dr. Seuss. Someone told each of these people, they were not good enough - numerous times, mind you. Somewhere along the way, brilliant people, who eventually found phenomenal success, were told they were not qualified - that they would never reach a place of great success, and they would never achieve their goals.
Related: What Makes a Successful Entrepreneur? Perseverance.
If you have been rejected, don't quit. Try again. If someone told you your work won't ever make it, try it again.
Perserverance is the single most important trait of some of humanity's most successful people. They never quit.
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