LOSS? TEMPORARY SET-BACK? FAILURE?

Lose! Step back and Restart? Give-up? Fail?

Is it obvious that everyone faces setbacks and even defeat on the road to success? Would it be difficult to find a successful person, business or organization that has not dealt with setbacks, disappointments and even outright defeats? So, what is losing?

Is losing when we get knocked down or is it when we fail to get-up?(A boxer is not counted out until he or she is unable to stand by the end of the referee’s count.) Does defeat occur with the knock down or the stay down? Or does the defeat occur, if the boxer does not enter the ring again? Does losing require one to give-up and not try again?

“Do not judge me by my successes; judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” ― Nelson Mandela

Sometimes can we adjust our approach? Is the boxer who decides to try martial arts or switch to the “Octagon”, a loser or a learner?

Is it even possible to achieve success without setbacks?

In the Opening Your Mind Blog we believe that you learn more from questions than you do from answers? Is it possible that we also learn more from setbacks and challenges than we do from success?

Is it possible that failing to learn from mistakes and setbacks is the true definition of losing?

Are there mindsets and attitudes that facilitate learning from defeat and continuing to strive for success? Would a growth mindset and a positive mental attitude be advantageous in this regard?

What great learning experiences have helped you to move forward in your life? What have learned from defeats? What would you tell a young person about the difference between temporary defeat and failure?