Managing Defeat

"Before success in any man's life, he is sure to meet with much temporary defeat and perhaps failure. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and most logical thing is to quit. That is exactly what the majority of men do." Napolean Hill

A few years back I had the privilege of working with a friend who ran a men's shelter. My perception of homeless shelters was a place reserved for drug addicts and the most challenged social classes of our society. I was surprised to learn that most of the men came from typical middle-class backgrounds, but somewhere along the way had suffered some devastating defeat in their life. They went through a divorce, had a child die, or were downsized from a longstanding position in the corporate world. Rather than address the problem, it was easier to escape into a world of self-pity and doubt.

I realized then that a very thin line existed between my own failures and defeats and those fighting daily to reclaim the most basic elements of life. "But for the grace of God, goes me." I have been through divorce, depression and discouragement. I have come very close to quitting on things that really mattered. I have spent mornings unprepared and unwilling to wade through another day of disappointment, struggle and hardship, but here I am - one day closer to eternity, one day closer to victory.

I don't have all the answers to managing defeat and failure. I wish I knew how to best overcome the struggles of discouragment and depression. The one thing I am confident about is this. If you want to succeed, you can never surrender your dreams. What sets you apart, lifts you above the masses, the single character issue that places you in the small minority of winners is an unwillingness to quit - for as Napolean Hill correctly stated, "That is exactly what the majority of men do!"

Trent Wheeler