John C. Maxwell - How Successful People Win: Turn Every Setback into a Step Forward

M y friend Robert Schuller once asked, What would you attempt to do if you knew you wouldnt fail? Thats a great question, an inspiring question. When most people hear it, they start dreaming. They are motivated to reach for their goals and to risk more.

I have a question that I think is just as important: What do you learn when you fail? While people are usually ready to talk about their dreams, they are less prepared to answer a question about their shortcomings. Most people dont like to talk about their mistakes and failures. They dont want to confront their losses. They are embarrassed by them. And when they do find themselves falling short, they may find themselves saying something trite, such as Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. The message is, Hope to win, expect to lose, and live with the results either way.

Whats wrong with that? Its not how winners think!

Successful people know the way to turn a setback into a step forward. How? They dont try to brush failure under the rug. They dont run away from their losses. They learn from them. Every time. They understand that lifes greatest lessons are gained from our lossesif we approach them the right way. Mistakes are acceptable as long as the damage isnt too great. Or as they say in Texas, It doesnt matter how much milk you spill as long as you dont lose your cow!

In life, sometimes you do win. But other times you get knocked down. The key is to figure out why you got knocked down, learn from it, get back up, and move forward. Thats how successful people win.

Have you ever heard someone use the phrase Its only a game? I bet if you have, it was from someone who was losing. Nobody likes to lose. Think of some of the losses in your life and how they made you feel. Not good. And its not just the pain of the moment that affects us. Our losses also cause us other difficulties. Here are a few:

Author and speaker Les Brown says, The good times we put in our pocket. The bad times we put in our heart. I have found that to be true in my life. In my heart I still carry some of the bad times. I bet you do, too. The negative experiences affect us more deeply than positive ones, and if youre like me, you may get emotionally stuck. Anxiety and fear are debilitating emotions for the human heart. So are losses. They can weaken, imprison, paralyze, dishearten, and sicken us. To be successful, we need to find ways to get unstuck emotionally.