Appreciating Trials along with Success

 

Yes, you read the title of this post correctly.


Someone once told me that in order to truly understand and accept success with a grateful heart, one must go through trials in order to obtain it. I have been changing the vocabulary that I use when describing this, because what was originally said to me had the word "failure" in it. 


I believe that we don't fail--we learn. I have been instilling that in the lives of the kids I teach, alongside reintroducing this into my life. I have gotten in the habit of saying that I "failed" when things don't pan out the way I want them to. I had an instance like this recently.


I competed in the first local of the Miss Kansas 2023 season and walked away without a title. It wasn't the outcome I wanted. I would've loved to have told people that I was going back to Miss Kansas, but it wasn't in the cards for me at this point in time. I was fine for the time being, but the following evening, that is when the tears flowed. 


I have been so used to hearing the phrase "no" in my life, and it hurt to hear it from something I had desperately wanted. That is when my mom told me that I still went out and competed. That's step one. 


It just reminded me that in order to truly appreciate our successes, we have to understand the hardships that our trials will throw at us. It is what you do afterwards that defines you. You can either pick yourself back up and keep going, or lay there. 

I leave you with this: whenever there is a trial in your life, try picking yourself back up and see what you can do. You will surprise yourself. 

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