Many people view failure as something that cannot be fathomed. We become scared and begin to question our self-importance. “I’m a failure” “I should just give up” and “I need to quit” but, failure is just as important as success. Many of us might view failure as something destined to happen to those who aren’t talented or intelligent, but talent has nothing to do with success. What the nature of fire teaches us is to fight for what we want. You are not born a genius, who cares, fight to become one. You don’t have the skill to get the job done, then fight to get it done. For if anyone wishes to accomplish anything in life, they must first learn to fight regardless of the circumstances. Below are reasons why we must accept defeat till we become victorious.
The Growth Mindset
Just like how a seed must first become a bud, and then a shrub before it grows into a mighty tree, so must we first start small before we grow. There are two types of mindsets in life, the Fixed mindset and the growth mindset. Originally discovered by Dr. Carol Dweck, People with a fixed mindset tend to give excuses and lament about how they weren’t born with the necessary gifts to achieve a goal. They believe that people who are successful in life were either born with talents or had the intelligence to accomplish a deed. These people will avoid risks and any challenges that come their way because of fear of failure and abashment.
On the other hand, people with a growth mindset will see failures as opportunities to learn and strive. They believe success and achievement come from fighting hard. They also don’t care if some people are born with the talents to succeed. To them, being born with skills only bore the competition, all that matters is effort: the power to struggle till you get it done. So, keep weathering the storm till you grow into that big and mighty tree that can never be overcome.
Never Give up
When you are fighting a video game boss in a dungeon and you lose, do you quit the game, or do you recuperate and return to the fight? You must choose the second option because if you cannot defeat that dungeon boss you won’t get that sweet loot you’ve been after. It is the same in the real world, you must keep fighting till you get that reward. If the battle breaks you then it means you are too attached to yourself and your body. If you treat yourself as a meat bag that is being controlled by a spirit, you will understand that safety and perfection are just an illusion. So, get into that dungeon and keep fighting that boss till you get your luscious reward.
Remember that if you do give up, it will be equal to being dead. Not living the life you’ve dreamed of only means you will be living in a nightmare. The best part of that nightmare would be to keep fighting to get to your dream. Fighting is the least anyone can do in a world filled with pain. You either give up and live a life of defeat, or you keep trying regardless of the failures and know that at least you are fighting. Don’t give up, keep attacking till you get it right.
When you don’t give up, each failure will make you more creative. You will be able to see the challenge from a different perspective than when you first tried. Each failure will increase your knowledge and experience making you fitter for success. You will learn something new from each defeat. You will learn that there are hidden talents, strengths, and skills within us that we didn’t know we had. The endless battles will teach us to stay motivated in the long run and reveal to us those strengths and weaknesses that we have been ignoring. Your dexterity will serve as a motivation for others out there who lack the motivation to keep going. Never give up and always remind yourself of why you are fighting.
Lose to Win
If we win all the time, the spark within dies. We become bored, and the lack of challenge will only leave us sloppy. Losing helps to keep things fresh. We lose, then we ask ourselves what we did wrong and fix it just in time for the next battle. When the next battle comes, we say “oh! Look, this is the mistake I made last time” and we end up avoiding it. When you make another mistake, you didn’t see it coming, you will be able to recognize it again during the next battle. On and on, you will keep learning from those defeats till you become unstoppable. Therefore, stop obsessing over victories and accept the inevitability of losing some battles so the urge to win next time becomes even stronger.
Feedback
The truth about life is that it is going to hurt. People are going to hurt us, disappoint us, or despise us, but all that matters is our improvement. Every damage we take during a battle will teach us new lessons, and every criticism we receive will make us grow stronger. But first, we must be able to criticize ourselves. What did I do wrong in this situation? What was my mistake? Ask yourself those questions whilst keeping an open mind on self-improvement. The best time to review our experiences is when we are out of combat, that is, resting. We look back and see what we did wrong and try to fix it either by training or by studying new moves. If we are unable to criticize ourselves, we can always ask someone else to do it. A friend, coworker, colleague, or family member; there are always people ready to give us feedback. Let it hurt, heal, and be unhurt by that same damage next time. As the saying goes, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words cannot hurt me” and as the Kelly Clarkson song goes, “what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.”
Keep Training
Keep training, for the battle never ends even when there is peace of mind or in a state of respite. You will never know when you might get ambushed. Ambush mostly happens when we let our guard down, and that is why it is called an ambush. When we are in a state of rest, we must keep fighting. How? You might ask. Well, the best way to fight a battle while resting is by training. There might not be any fights happening now, but you should be preparing for one. Train in peace. Train when no one is around. Take advantage of the boredom and just train. In anime, most of the overpowered characters are always training intensely to prepare for any battles that might happen in the future. Characters that come to mind would be Roronoa Zoro from the anime One Piece, Naruto from the anime, Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden and another character that comes to mind would be Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach. What all these characters have in common is their ability to continue training during peaceful times and their dissatisfaction with their current state: weakness. So, keep training that weakness that might be slowing you down till you accomplish that one victory that you’ve always wanted.
In conclusion, as a fighter, you should always have a growth mindset and believe that you can be better than your current state. Never give up because the real battle is a battle of dexterity and once your spirit gives in you will lose every single battle without trying. Always remember to lose to win next time. No one grows by being perfect all the time, growth comes from learning from our mistakes and fixing them. Always listen to feedback whether from your opponents or from those you trust. And above all, never stop training; lowering your guard during peaceful times will only seep your strength and leave you vulnerable to slaughter. That concludes it all and remember to always keep on fighting. Osu!
To learn more about Fighters, click here: https://www.the12natures.com/post/fighters-and-commanders
Works Cited
“Depression and Sleep.” Sleep Foundation, 2 Mar. 2023, https://www.sleepfoundation.org/mental-health/depression-and-sleep.
“Decades of Scientific Research That Started a Growth Mindset Revolution.” The Growth Mindset - What Is Growth Mindset - Mindset Works, https://www.mindsetworks.com/science/.
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