When life hands us a ““no,” we have the power to get back up and dust ourselves off. We often get stuck or paralyzed by the “nos”. If we give up without making more attempts, we can’t accomplish as much and move on to the greater things. Having a bad fall in life, like facing a no or dealing with a failure, doesn’t have to be an invitation to give up, but rather a bigger opportunity to keep moving forward. I’ve learned that the more we stumble and fall, the closer we are to our goal. Rather than dwell in our woes and self-pity because something didn’t work out on the first try or because of a “not this time” answer, we can celebrate how much closer we are to catching that big break.
When we feel sorry for ourselves , we can lose the momentum of the energy going in our direction. We can take a fork in the road too personally. I have found when I get a detour in life, the detour teaches me what I needed to know to move forward. To prepare me in a sense for the blessings. You can miss them if you’re not ready and up to speed.
Learning and growing is part of our journey in life. It is also how we get to our goals and dreams. If we dwell too long in why something didn’t work out or how bad it felt to face another no, we keep ourselves further from our destination. You can actually thank your losses and your nos for helping you move towards better results. Just because you may be told you aren’t a fit for a project, job, or opportunity, it doesn’t mean that you aren’t fit for your dreams. Sometimes life blesses you by keeping you from the wrong people and wrong opportunities. Especially those scenarios that do not line up with your dreams.
Think about being a kid and learning to ride a bike. I know I fell off many times before I got the hang of it. That sure didn’t keep me from getting back on the bike again. When we are kids, we don’t let a fall deter us from continuing to try. We have this magical instinct that we are going to do it and Get it! And we keep trying until we do. When we learn to walk, we don’t continue to crawl the rest of our lives because we were wobbly at first and fall. Nor do we let the thoughts of others sway our decision to keep trying. We are focused in our task and we keep trying.
We can lose that determination and spark over the years. The longer you live the more falls you have. Without those falls, we wouldn’t experience our greatness either. How would we have the privilege to drive, find a mate, or perhaps start a business without some learning, stumbling, and failing? We don’t usually master anything at the first go.
What can you do when life hands you an unexpected no? Besides getting back up and dusting yourself off, you can say THANK YOU! Really– don’t take it personally. You just got handed a favor. It might not have been what your ego imagined, but there could be a better door waiting for you down the hall. Thank the situation for steering you better towards your destiny and dreams. Thank it for sending you better people and a better environment to go along with your aim. Let life bless you. Understand your yeses and nos are arriving to serve you better in life. Not to stop you. Just helping you change directions for a better result. Thank life for its internal GPS. Your grand navigator.
Move easily with your yeses and don’t get too hung up on the nos. You’ll learn and grow with the yeses and your nos. Just remember your power to get back up, dust yourself off, and GO!