Letdowns happen to us all. How we respond is what’s important.
In his booklet The Seven Laws of Success (we’d be happy to send you a free copy), the sixth of the seven laws Herbert W. Armstrong described is perseverance. This booklet says: “[N]ine in ten, at least once or twice in a lifetime, come to the place where they appear to be totally defeated! All islost!—apparently, that is. They give up and quit, when just a little more determined hanging on, just a little more faith and perseverance—just a little more stick-to-it-iveness—would have turned apparent certain failure into glorious success.”
Learning to gracefully handle disappointment and to bounce back from failure will make you a lot more successful at a lot more things in your life. The person who remains positive, learns from his mistakes, applies the lessons of a failure and charges forward for another attempt, is the person who ultimately nails it.
Proverbs 24:16 is a wonderful proverb to remember: “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” Everybody falls. When the wicked fall, they don’t get back up. But when the righteous fall, they refuse to give up. They rise to their feet and keep moving forward. “Seven times” is an expression that means over and over, again and again.
Psalm 145:14 gives another scriptural promise to keep in mind: “The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.” When you fall, God will revive you. When you’re discouraged, God will pick you up and encourage you, just like a parent who is excitedly helping his toddler learn how to walk.
So, you failed. Don’t be discouraged by the fact that you’re human like the rest of us. Think it through, get counsel, learn what you can from the mistake. Rise up, lift your chin, and move forward. The harder you work for something, the sweeter it will be when you achieve it.
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