"The quality that distinguishes a successful person from an unsuccessful one who is otherwise like him is the capacity to manage disappointment and loss."

A thought by John C. Maxwell (2013-10-08) from his book, Sometimes You Win--Sometimes You Learn:Life's Greatest Lessons Are Gained from Our Losses (Kindle Locations 208-209). Center Street. Kindle Edition.

He goes on to say, “Too often losing goes to our heads. It defeats us, and we have trouble coming up with solutions to our challenges. As the losses build up, they become more of a burden. We regret the losses of yesterday. We fear the losses of tomorrow. Regret saps our energy. We can’t build on regret. Fear for the future distracts us and fills us with apprehension.”

But if we can learn from them we will have surmounted one of the great obstacles in living life.  We will all make mistakes, dumb mistakes.  It goes with living but they can be our friends instead of our enemies.  Yes it can be embarrassing but it can also be a time of growth and confidence.  There is always an answer if we search for it.  It may be humbling but there is an answer and that is where the confidence and the learning about ourselves comes in.  Yes I’m imperfect but yes I can live through it and learn from it. 

That is where God wants us.  He wants us to be honest in our imperfection and also our need for help.  There is something to be learned in each and every situation.  It has a way of building us and not destroying us.  It is up to us to make the choice.

So how do you manage your disappointments and loss?