You Can Bounce Back from Failure and Achieve New Heights!
“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure… than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt
You Can Bounce Back from Failure and Achieve New Heights!
A couple of weeks ago, this message arrived in my inbox: “I just got fired from my job after 25 years at the company. I had no notice and no warning. They just called me and let me go. I am devastated.”
Devastated is a natural response. I have been there myself, so I know how it feels.
I also know that if you can pick yourself up and dust yourself off that devastation doesn’t have to be permanent. In fact, this experience can be a spring board to learn and grow from.
Don’t believe me? Watch this 1 minute video and be inspired by some spectacular failures that may surprise you!
I was surprised to learn how the likes of Abraham Lincoln, Walt Disney and Steve Jobs were able to reinvent themselves. How about you?
Maybe you are thinking that you would like to reinvent yourself but can’t contain the feelings of failure on your own. As a coach, I help you to objectively reflect on your experiences, to think about what your strengths are and how you can use them to move forward in new ways. You too can bounce back and reach new heights!
If you are curious about how coaching might help you use your experiences as a spring board to achieve something new, call me for a free, no strings attached session or book it a session line at www.lynnkjones.com.
P.S. Have you checked out The Happiness Shelf in the Leader’s Library on www.lynnkjones.com? My picks and the reasons why I picked them are all there with links to Amazon. And, if you buy one of these books through the Leader’s Library, I am donating the affiliate money I earn to Better World Books.
Dr. Lynn K. Jones is a Certified Personal and Executive Coach based in Santa Barbara, California and a sought after coach and consultant for organizations and individuals across the US. Her doctoral work completed at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University concerned organizational culture; she coaches, consults and trains organizations on what they need to do to create organizational cultures that are aligned with their vision and values using a process of Appreciative Inquiry. She coaches individuals on achieving their reflected best selves. An MSW@USC faculty member, Dr. Lynn K. Jones, MSW, DSW, CSWM, teaches Human Behavior and Social Environment and Leadership to social work students at the University of Southern California.
Lynn, this is such an inspiring post and the video equally inspiring. You’ve given me a lot to think about. Thanks.
I agree–a lot to think about. Our mindsets are so powerful and also hard to deconstruct on our own. All the best, Jacquie~
Appreciatively,
Lynn
Dr. Lynn,
This is an especially poignant post. I heard that story from a good client of mine. She was in the devastation phase.
I plan to forward this post to her.
As I read your positive message I reflected back on some deep setbacks that I’ve experienced in my life. I looked at where I am now and realized that I have a big happiness boost on my hands. I’m doing great and when I look back at my biggest setback I see that I did indeed bounce back and it just made me really happy to see that.
I’m taking a win today, right now. Thanks for your positivity and reminding me right now that I can do it!
So glad that my post allowed you to reflect on how you have bounced back from challenging times! I also hope that my post is useful to your friend. Thanks for forwarding it on!
Appreciatively,
Lynn
Dr. Jones,
The message that you convey in your blog is so simple but yet so powerful and encouraging. I can truly relate to this blog. Actually, while watching the video, I was thinking about my own personal experiences with failure and rejection. Two important lessons that I have learned from my experiences are the following:
1.) A setback is a setup for comeback.
2.) When one door closes, a window of opportunity
opens.
Overall, failures and rejections are means to help groom a person for opportunities that he or she could not have imagined or foreseen. Therefore, a person should perceive and handle failure and rejection as the old saying goes of making lemonade when life gives a person lemons. In other words, a person should strive to have a positive outlook on the failures and rejections he or she experiences as a mean to benefit the most from his or her experiences.
What a fabulous take-away from your experience of “failure”: “A setback is a setup for a comeback.”
Thanks for adding your comments!
Appreciatively,
Dr. Jones
Great work on this topic. This article took me back several years when I participated in a public speaking competion and the title of my speech was “Soaring to New Heights”, as a teenager I never quite understood the meaning and/or how it actually relates to my life. It wasn’t until recently I am learning the importance of failure. Without failure I would never clearly identify my weaknesses. So now as I “Soar to New Heights”, I am reminded of my weaknesses, but strive more to focus on my strengths.
That is fabulous LaShasta. When we are challenged it certainly does give a great perspective on our successes.
Thanks for commenting.
Lynn
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