“Our glory is not never to fall, but to get up when we fall.”
It seems that life is woven from problems to be solved. As such, it is difficult, often unbearable, but overcoming set limits and bridging obstacles make us better – encouraging perseverance, persistence, courage, and wisdom, and thus we mature and grow in our dignity. Over time, we learn to appreciate true values, and we neglect what is passing and unimportant, and experience and walking on untrodden paths teach us that. The world in which we live is a direct or indirect cause of all our suffering, but through life, we realize that we do not exist independently of that world nor can we exist, that we are its integral part. It changes, but with it, we change too – it is a continuous process of struggle, success or failure, adaptation, search, and finding balance. Falls, however heavy and painful, strengthen and elevate us, showing us what is truly important and valuable. ‘Only he who has been in the deepest valley can appreciate the highest mountain.’
But we are not all of the same mental makeup and character, and we will not approach the obstacles and problems that life poses to us in the same way. Options always exist, and the choice is ours. When in the prime of your life you lose a job or, let’s say, a partner because of some “younger, replacement model,” you can forget about vanity and pride and accept worse conditions – settle down – or you can bravely and confidently step into something new – start-up and shine. The choice you make will say a lot about you – it will define you in your own eyes and in the eyes of the people around you. Whether injustice will motivate you to, if you haven’t already, give your best and do the best you can, or will it demoralize and discourage you – depends solely on you.
Competition mostly motivates people to be better and more successful. If your qualities are genuine, the “opponent” will only fuel your competitive spirit, and success is already on the horizon. Evil people have a similar motivational power – they unconsciously draw the maximum from you. Among other things, they achieve this by making you “alert,” because when you believe you are working in an idyllic work atmosphere – you fall asleep. On the other hand, being aware that you are working in a toxic, hostile environment requires constant vigilance and readiness for change. It also requires your maximum effort in accomplishing work tasks because such people will not forgive you for anything less. However, the most important thing is not to fear the enemy. Fearlessness is key to success because fear is the greatest obstacle in life. Although a natural and normal state, which shows that we are living beings of flesh and blood, fear can setback and destroy you if you do not know how to control it and learn to live with it. You will not be afraid only if you strongly believe in yourself; without that, everything else that contributes to success and victories becomes insufficient and, in the end, irrelevant. And in this whole story of struggle and success, the most important thing is – not to lose yourself. I choose for my job to represent me, first and foremost, as a human being, as a person (because I cannot stand and unequivocally reject hypocrisy, lies, disrespect, false praise, and credits), and only then as a capable and successful individual.
But… in the business world, as in life in general, everything is very fragile, unstable, changeable… You have conquered fear, achieved great success, suppressed competition, not regretted any move or decision – it seems to you that you have reached everything necessary for a break and peace… However, all this does not guarantee that a part of your house of cards will not collapse at some point. If that happens, keep in mind that you can rebuild it again. Never despair of failure and disappointment, because they are also an integral part of our lives, and every new day is a new opportunity and a new chance. You will seize it only if you do not retreat from the source of pain. You cannot distance yourself from it, and you shouldn’t. Face it. Otherwise, you will live in fear, cocooned in the comfort of your safety, secure and alone. They say you should not fear death, but you should not fear life either. Learn to live freely and openly for changes and challenges, and make an effort to extract some lesson and motivation for continuation from all the bad things that happen to you. Be persistent in overcoming obstacles because – in the end, we always somehow reach a happy point. In one way or another, later or earlier, but – we do, and that’s the most important. Simply put, that’s life, accept it in its imperfections and draw the best out of it.
Remember – “If it’s not good, it’s not the end.” 🙂