Embracing the Art of Losing Gracefully

I once mentored a student who seemed to follow every piece of advice I gave her.

Well, almost every piece.

Actually, there were quite a few suggestions she chose not to implement.

Whenever she encountered a problem, she'd come to me, we'd work together to find her solution, but she wouldn’t act on it.

Her perspective was so rigid that she just kept wallowing in what wasn't working instead of taking action in moving forward.

And as more challenges came into her life, her frustration escalated.

One day, overwhelmed by her perceived failures, she decided to quit.

She didn't just abandon our coaching sessions but her entire business.

And I allowed her to walk away.

Why? Because I could see her unwillingness to change herself.

Often, we harbor this illusion that we should arrive at a point in life where we no longer have setbacks.   

However, this is far from reality.

Here's a vital truth everyone should understand: throughout your life, you will face obstacles, endure hardships, confront disappointments, and dodge metaphorical fiery darts.

That, my friend, is the essence of life.

The trick lies in learning to bounce back from these challenges.

Welcoming them into your life, leaning into them, learning from them, and then letting them go.

The sooner you can accept and learn from these trials, the quicker you'll experience substantial personal growth.

The objective isn't to achieve such extraordinary success that everything always pans out perfectly.

The aim is to prepare yourself to face every trial, every obstacle, and every fiery dart that life throws at you, to learn from them, let them go and move forward.

To become the person that knows how to handle the challenges and move forward in them.

This is how we ascend in life and truly transform ourselves.

And the initial step in this journey is faith.

Faith that the trials won't break you, but will instead strengthen you.

Faith that there's a lesson in every challenge.

Faith that God has a plan for you in these trials, even if it's not something we can see for ourselves.

Faith that somehow there is a miracle on the other side.

Isaiah 55: 8 

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord."