You win one, lose a few

My Dad always said, you win one and lose a few.

I think this might be a pretty common saying, but it's something my Dad always said for pretty much any knock-back in life and turns out, it's not a bad concept. It's a perspective that I think fosters a combination of gratitude and realism.

Everyone faces rejection, adversity or challenges in life and that universal experience binds us together. However, it can feel pretty hard when you really wanted something or worked hard for it and it doesn't work out.

I have learned that the key is to not take it personally and that it can lead to something better or a much more valuable or unique experience. It can also build resilience. I once interviewed for the ABC and as a media graduate this was really exciting, but it went terribly. I didn't realise it involved so much public speaking and I hadn't memorised a news story that I needed to read in front of the camera. The whole ordeal shook my ability to do the written aspect of the interview too. 

Nerves got the best of me - but it showed me that maybe news wasn't the best route. I was much better suited to writing and marketing. Sometimes, these rejections can fire up motivation even more! I soon got a job in marketing after that interview, and gained several years of valuable experience. 

Recently, this saying has also made me feel so much more grateful for the things that do go right. Sometimes they can be few and far between but that's what makes them so much more special when they do happen. The things that do go well and subsequently the things that don't, direct you exactly where you need to go. 

Whether or not you're a believer in the "everything happens for a reason" idea, I think the win one lose a few saying is a quick and easy way to remind yourself that things may not always go your way - but in the end, something will.