Forrest Gump really was right! Life is very much like a box of chocolates. There are assorted flavours that are sweet, chewy, and sometimes nutty. We may not even like all of the chocolates in the box, but we have to deal with them nevertheless.
There are all sorts of words to describe what happens at the times when we don’t get what we really want. Some people call it “failure”, but even that word is used inappropriately all too often. Instead, many people seem to use words like “setback” or “stalled”, perhaps because they sound more pleasant. Whatever you want to call them, these are the road bumps in life. If life was always like a rafting trip down a mellow river, we’d likely be a bunch of poorly equipped people. Without our personal experience – at the first rough patch, we’d probably be carried off in a strait jacket.
Have you ever seen the hands of a farmer? The skin on his hands is dark and deeply wrinkled from long hard winters and blistering hot summers. His palms have thick calluses from handling ropes and equipment. These calluses form so that his hands will be better prepared for the coming work.
In most instances, setbacks seem to function in the same fashion. One area that most people continuously experience setbacks is with weight loss. Oh, the stories some people could probably tell… When the pounds creep up, we are set to dig in our heels and work even harder. Or do we, do we really have the ability to take control?
With the proper help we can bounce back. Setbacks in life, and especially those in work, can beat us down to where we don’t even want to try anymore. It’s hard to make it alone. Having someone else along for the ride can soften the road bumps and keep us moving in a positive direction. Some setbacks require the buddy system to overcome. This buddy can be a friend, family member, or a counsellor. Their job is to be a sounding board for you. If needed, they offer sound advice to get you going again. This person is your personal counterweight to keep your life – and your career opportunities in balance, at those times when you feel you’re tipping over the edge.
Part of bouncing back from a loss or a setback is putting the situation into the proper perspective. You lost the race, ether because you didn’t practice enough or because the other racers were better. Counter that setback with more practice – even ask for tips from other racers. Look on the positive side for answers to those setbacks.
Would it feel good to give up? Of course it wouldn’t. Getting back in the saddle as soon as possible is the essential key to regaining your confidence.
Alan Gillies is the CEO of Learning 2 Live, a comprehensive online Lifestyles resource which delves deeply into business and pleasure, covering a wide variety of Lifestyle subjects such as Relationships, Health, Wellbeing, Career, Travel & Coaching, and many more. Alan has considerable personal experience throughout a number of business fields including Coaching and Mentoring, Change Management and Neuro Linguistic Programming.