Our setbacks have the power to set up our life’s greatest victories.
Who doesn’t love the underdog?
I love sports and its competitive spirit. It’s the one arena we get to watch on a daily basis where you see competitors rebound from failure to win big. It’s the best place to remind us how a setback shouldn’t stop us.
Like in 1988, when Kirk Gibson hurt his leg in the National League Championship Series, and unable to play Game 1 of the World Series, comes hobbling off the bench to pinch hit a home run and lead his Dodgers to a 1-0 series lead.
Or in 1993 when Hall of Fame hockey player Mario Lemieux missed a majority of the season in a life-threatening battle with cancer. Lemieux returned to the ice and led his team to 17 straight victories and a league scoring title.
And sports aren’t the only place where setbacks can fuel our biggest wins.
- Steve Jobs journey from Apple to Pixar back to Apple
- J.K. Rowling going from welfare to wealth beyond measure
- Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel being rejected by the first 23 publishers he pitched (the 24th said yes and sold 6 million copies of his first book!)
Setbacks only stop us if we let them. And Competitor’s aren’t stopped by setbacks, they use them to set up a bigger win.