Sometimes life takes us in a direction we were not planning for. But when our plans fail, temporary defeat is not permanent failure. Failure is the prerequisite to learning. Failure is the prerequisite to success. Failure is never fatal. John Wooden said that things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out. The victor mentality.

When life happens and things don’t go our way, it can be tempting to ask God, “why me?”, feel sorry for ourselves, and blame others. I catch myself doing this. The victim mentality. I just can’t catch a break, I’ll never be able to do that, it’s my employer’s fault for not paying me enough, my parents shouldn’t have let me borrow six figures of student loans when I was 21.

What sets successful people apart from the rest is that they take adversity or less-than-desirable unforeseen circumstances, they make the most of the situation and treat it as a way to grow and be better. They have the victor mindset rather than the victim mindset. Victors know that they are the masters of their own earthly destiny just as surely as they have the power to control their own thoughts. They know that they can choose to influence direct, and eventually control their own environment making their lives what they want them to be. They take responsibility for what they have control over. The victor mentality. Napoleon Hill talks about this mindset in Think And Grow Rich.

Rather than rely on others, your significant other, your employer, the government, or your pet turtle to make you happy, choose to be the victor over your circumstances. When things don’t go your way, identify how the situation is helping you grow. Take responsibility for what you have control over: your mindset. Reflect on what steps you need to take today rather than feel sorry for yourself for what happened yesterday.