We live in a culture dominated by stories of success. We see it everywhere we turn — on TV, in magazines, online, in the daily newspaper. Entire generations are growing up thinking they cannot fail. That success isn’t just the result of doing well, it is a guarantee that we can reach any goal we set.
Now I’m all for optimism, don’t get me wrong. But as a pragmatist, I can’t help but sprinkle a little reality into an optimist’s dreams.
You will fail at some point in your life. You will be fired from a job you care about, or be rejected by a partner in a relationship you thought had a future. You will suffer from doing too much, or doing too little, all of which won’t matter. You will be rejected by something or someone you really want. And it will hurt. It might even hurt like hell.
What do you do now?