A Powerful Life Lesson: Learn to Make the Bounce

Perseverance & Resilience

Making the Bounce, Overcoming Challenges, Perseverance, Resilience

By Starla

December 19, 2019

 Minute Read

At the end of my sophomore year in high school, three other students (Kara, Randi, and Wendy) and I were still in the running to be valedictorians of our senior class.

My least favorite class that semester was Botany, and you could tell because I was hovering right on the line between an A and B for my final grade.

Needless to say, I was beside myself when my final grade at the end of the semester was a B+.

I cried elephant-sized tears for days while begging my parents to talk with my botany teacher, Mr. Zwerner, hoping they could convince him to give me an A.

"Starla, did you do the work to earn an A or a B+?" they asked.

I'm a terrible liar. I can't lie to save my life, so in between sniffles, I said, "B+," to which they replied, "You earned a B+, not an A. Why would you expect us to ask Mr. Zwerner to give you something you didn't earn?"

From there, a conversation ensued about:

  • Not everything in life will be easy. There will be times you work extremely hard, and you still don't succeed. And then there will be times when you don't work hard enough, and you let yourself down. In both instances, you will have to deal with the consequences and quickly bounce back.
  • You might as well learn now (the earlier in life, the better) how to persevere, be resilient, bounce back, and keep moving forward because the world doesn't owe you anything – you're entitled to nothing except what you work hard to get on your own. A sense of entitlement will most certainly ensure that you never reach your full potential.

This powerful life lesson created the foundation upon which one of my Core Values developed and strengthened over time. I place tremendous value on being resilient and persevering. Making the bounce and getting stronger is what life is all about.

There are times that I even look forward to the bounce because I know, on the other side of it, I will be bigger, better, stronger, and wiser, having worked through all the challenges that came with it.

Leave A Reply

What was your favorite lesson from this article? Please let me know, and after you apply what you learned, make sure you share your breakthrough moments and successes with me. And, of course, I welcome your feedback, questions, insight, experience, and suggestions. You can share them here, as well! Critical comments are fine, but we'll delete your comments if you're rude. Please do not put your URL in the comment text, and use your real name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun, and thanks for adding to the conversation.

{"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}

Did you find value in this post?

If so, will you share it with others so they can benefit from it, as well?


Related Posts

Schedule a Meeting, Book a Call, or Submit an Inquiry

Select your preferred option from the dropdown menu.

Schedule A Free 30-Minute Discovery Zoom Meeting

When reviewing available timeslots, remember to select your preferred time zone in the top right-hand corner below.

Information to connect via Zoom will be provided in the calendar invitation sent to you after you confirm this appointment.

When reviewing available timeslots, remember to select your preferred time zone in the top right-hand corner below. Information to connect via Zoom will be provided in the calendar invitation sent to you after you confirm this appointment.

Book A Free 30-Minute Discovery Phone Call

When reviewing available timeslots, remember to select your preferred time zone in the top right-hand corner below.

The phone number at which you can reach me will be provided in the calendar invitation sent to you after you confirm this appointment.

When reviewing available timeslots, remember to select your preferred time zone in the top right-hand corner below. The phone number at which you can reach me will be provided in the calendar invitation sent to you after you confirm this appointment.

Contact Form for General Inquiries

* Required

FIRST NAME*
LAST NAME*
Email*
tell me how i can help*
0 of 500

A copy of your inquiry will be emailed to the address you provide, and you will receive a response within 24 to 48 hours. When you submit your name and email, you are opting in for my email newsletter and relevant upcoming updates from Starla West International. I respect your privacy. Your email address will not be shared or sold. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact Form for General Inquiries

* Required

FIRST Name*
last name*
Email*
Message*
0 of 1000

A copy of your inquiry will be emailed to the address you provide, and you will receive a response within 24 to 48 hours. When you submit your name and email, you are opting in for my email newsletter and relevant upcoming updates from Starla West International. I respect your privacy. Your email address will not be shared or sold. You can unsubscribe at any time.

>