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Graduating Into The Real World: Winning Is A Way of Life & Failing Is A Part Of It

by Evelyn Pelczar

Losing is a natural part of life. Anyone that has eventually achieved what they set out to, has failed along the way. What separates winners from losers is the winners' ability to take failure in stride and to learn the valuable lessons that experience offers.

Sometimes we try so hard and invest so much time into something that failure is no longer an option. But the truth is, as much as we are prepared here and now, there will always be factors that are out of our control.

These will sometimes sway things in our direction and other times not. But that's just life. The key is to never let losing stop or change your direction.

Losing can be good. Losing can be okay. Losing can be an opportunity for us to look at what we did right and what we did wrong and build upon what we've learned to make us better, stronger and wiser. We have to remain resilient and get up again and again and again looking to do what we do better and come that much closer to reaching our goals.

It's a symptom of this age that many people hold back and refrain from putting themselves out there. The effort and time alone will dissuade them. Failure, as a risk, is reason enough to halt ambition. Success, however, is a function of focus, discipline, perseverence, bravery and an unwavering devotion to making your dreams a reality.

You likely don't have all the answers; you might not even know where to start. You probably have ideas that excite you, but you're not sure how to translate them into a reality. But don't let that discourage you because if your dreams are worthy of you, your passion will bring them to fruition.

Almost everyone, at one point or another, has a good idea. Whether it's a fix for an existing problem or a new concept altogether, thinking about it will energize you, invigorate you and make you lose sleep over its brilliance.

The euphoria will blanket the minutiae, you'll overlook the need to think about the nuances and steps that you need to take to make the idea a successful reality. The end game, the prize, the glory, the fame all outshine the process.

When the dust settles, and your come down begins, you start to think more clearly, you'll realize that the journey from idea to reality is filled with challenges. The effort and time you need to put in is beyond what you imagined.

And at that critical point, you can devote your self to realizing your dream, persevering through every possible hurdle and replacing the words “can't” and “never” with an internalized belief that there is almost always a way and you will almost always find it, or you can simply move on with your life and forget about the idea.

A true measure of potential and future success is one's ability to chase their dreams regardless of the hurdles. Most will find an excuse and continue living predictable, unadventurous lives. But there's a select few who will go over and above and accept failure as nothing more than a lesson that strengthens our progress.

Remember that the journey is what matters. The journey is what gives you the experience that makes you better prepared for future challenges. The lessons learned along the way come to define and sharpen your skill set and differentiate you from the competition. You derive valuable wisdom and sharpen your instincts.

You become better prepared to take on bigger challenges and push through horizons that once seemed impossibly far. It makes you almost limitless in your ability to act decisively and confidently whenever new challenges arise.

Winning is a way of life. Whether it's a race, an exam, an interview or a project, you always put forth all the effort in the world and do your best to win. But, failure is natural too, and you won't always succeed...right away.

You have to roll with the punches and use losing to your advantage. Don't be afraid to set big, scary goals. Don't be afraid to fail along the way. Keep moving forward and keep your head up. Don't ever be afraid to work hard to be the best that you can be.