Intheblackandwhitedrawingabove,ayouthgravelycontemplatesanarrowwindingpathheadingintoaforest.Perhapshethinksthathisownfuturemaybemuchlikethispath;fullofbendsandcurves,thornsandtraps.Theroadtosuccessisneveranythingbutunevenanddifficult.
Infact,onecouldevensaythatthemoresuccessfulone'slifeis,themoreproblemsandhardshipsonemusthaveovercome.Theabilitytoworkthroughdifficultsituationsandunfortunateeventsonlymakesonestrongerandmorecapable.Giventhattheroadtohappinessalwayscontainsobstaclesandsetbacks,weshouldbewellpreparedforthehardshipsthatlifeinevitablybrings,andabandontheideathatlifeissmoothoreasy.Wemustacceptthefactthatfailuresareunavoidable,whethertheyarefailuresinexaminations,infindingajob,orcarryingoutatask.Peoplewhoacceptthattheirlifewillnotalwaysbesimpleorcalmarebetterabletohandleproblemswhentheyarise.Thosewhoareupsetbyeachandeverysmallsetback—andtherearemanypeoplewithsuchattitudes—donothavemuchpotential.Failureismothertosuccessasitcanstrengthenone'swill.Thosewhocandrawlessonsfromfailurearedestinedforsuccess.