Bouncing Back

Life is full of surprises and the way to success is not a smooth ride. Not to mention that the way to success is not always the road to happiness but this topic is for another blog.

Today I want to talk about the wonders of "bouncing back".

The best advice I had in my career was from one of my mentors who said: "to survive in this company you have to be quick to heal and hard to bruise". Just like a kid learning to take his first steps, the quicker you get back on your feet and try again, the bigger the chances you will learn and ultimately succeed.

Bouncing back is definitely a strong asset in life. Easier said that done of course, some setbacks are harder to digest and healing may take longer depending of how deep the wound is, hence the "hard to bruise" part of the message. You need to have quite a thick skin to cope with some of life's challenges at times. In my job as a recruiter I meet so many people who encounter rejection after rejection, perseverance and the ability to bounce back is the only way to go forward and not lose faith.

Can you practice bouncing back? Yes you definitely can. First you need to realize that frustrations and failures are part of life. The quicker you accept challenges, the easier it will be to bounce back. Just like a basketball, the harder it hits the ground, the higher it flies.

Surround yourself with people that give you energy and confidence, share your experience and understand you are not alone. That will nurture your ability to heal. Find friends with true empathy and remember that the higher you want to climb, the bigger the fall but the risk can definitely be worth it.

Be aware of the trajectory of life, know when to stop leaking your wounds and get back on the saddle. Find a coach, a friend a partner to help you reignite the flame so that you can try again until you succeed.

I am still learning every day and I do not always manage to bounce back as quickly as I would like to but one thing I know for sure is that standing stil is not an option. The only way I can climb up when I am down is in action, trying hard, working harder until I can see the light again.

Sun, 29 April