"I could build a castle; Out of all the bricks they threw at me." At face value on social media, I’m unfailingly positive and happy. Pretty laidback. Fairly driven yet self-deprecating in that expected British manner. I’m often told how well I’m doing and how much so and so envies how I do this and that. By default I tend not to chat about setbacks and drawbacks and negatives online. I save that for the Aisling's and Sarah's of the world. ;)
It’s a perfectly normal thing to come across setbacks. Who hasn’t experienced the heartbreak of brewing a cup of tea, opening the fridge and realising someone used all of the milk for their monster bowl of cereal, for example? But as I progress through my twenties, there are plenty more. You could work for months upon months on your brainchild project and have it crushed to the ground by people you helped on the way up. You could build up trust and have it shaken and crumbled again. You could present new ideas and have them glossed over. It happens.
For me, the first part is working out what happened. Was it two-sided? What could you have done differently, if anything? More often than not, no, you did the best you could. Pick yourself up little lady, dust yourself off and go again. Also, don’t be ashamed or scared to admit that you had that setback. Things don’t always go to plan but it doesn’t mean that it isn’t meant to be. I’m also a forever-advocate of not letting setbacks affect your future plans. So that boy was a dbag, not every single one will be. Don’t let setbacks knock your confidence either: it’s better to stand for what you want and can have than wonder ‘what if’.
What’s a setback you’ve had and how did you deal with it?
