USING YOUR SETBACK FOR A COMEBACK

Majority of the people who commit suicide are those who give up when they encounter setbacks in life. These people see no essence in living again and they think the only solution is to end life. Some people try several times in life to accomplish goals but always fail. They get frustrated at the end and decide to kiss that vision goodbye. It is very sad to hear ladies say, " All men are the same", just because they encountered one or two broken relationships. The woman who needs the fruit of the womb, after several years in believing and trying with no response, quits that dream and says,"maybe God does not want me to have my own child in life." All these are setbacks that we face as human beings that make us quit.

I learnt this song in elementary school:
"Life in this world is a great struggle, for both the young and old.
And even those who have great riches have troubles on their own.
Rich men envy poor men, poor men envy the rich.
Therefore, what is the sense in envying your neighbour."

I do not know the composer, but the first two lines always speak volumes to me. Life is indeed a great struggle. We were born into a difficult world full of challenges and impossibilities. However, we were not born to leave this world without making an impact. It is your choice if you want these difficulties to shape your life and make you quit. Cowards are those who embrace defeat and decide not to try again. Cowards are those who see impossibilities when they face obstacles. The fact that there is a problem makes you know that there ought to be a solution.

Whatever setbacks you have faced up to this time should not speak to you that you must quit. The distance from the starting point of the race tracks to the middle is the same as the distance from the middle to the end. If you have managed to get to the middle of the journey, why don´t you use that very energy to finish the race, instead of using that energy to quit and go back to the starting line?
Setbacks make us know our mistakes in life and that make us think outside the box.

In 2005, the UEFA Champions league Final was held in Istanbul, Turkey. This match was between Liverpool and AC Milan. Liverpool was down by three goals to nil after the end of the first half. If you are a fan of football, you will know that there is nothing like a comeback if you are down by even two goals in the finals of one of the most competitive football leagues in World. Liverpool had a setback. All the fans of Liverpool gave up because there was nothing like a comeback. God really used the second half to speak to me. Liverpool equalised and won the trophy with penalties. It was a surprise to the fans of football. This was one of the greatest comebacks in history that made me know that all things are indeed, possible.

Thomas Edison after trying thousands of times never gave up on his dream of inventing the electric bulb. When he was asked,after failing several attempts, he said," I have not failed, i have just found 10000 ways that won´t work." This setback moved him to finally reach his goal. Our forefathers who fought for our freedom encountered a lot of setbacks but they never gave up till we attained freedom.

A senate used Abraham Lincoln´s background and the profession of his dad as a shoemaker to mock Lincoln, with the aim of discredit the US President the very first day he was to give his inaugural speech. he said,"Mr Lincoln, you should not forget that your father used to make shoes for my family." This made the whole senate laugh uncontrollably. They thought they had discredited the President and made a fool out of him. However, Lincoln´s response was spectacular:
"Sir, i know my father used to make shoes in your house for your family, and there will be many others here... because the way he made shoes, nobody else can. He was a creator. His shoes were not just shoes,he poured his whole soul in it. I want to ask you, have you any complaint? because i know how to make shoes myself, if you have any complaint i can make another pair of shoes. But as far as i know nobody has ever complained about my father´s shoes. He was a genius, a creator and i am proud of my father." The entire senate was speechless and looked stupid. Lincoln saw this on the face of the person who wanted to discredit him and he continued," You have to speak! Why have you become dumb?You wanted to make me a fool, and now, look all around: you have made a fool of yourself."This American president did not allow mockery and what others said about his past to make him quit. He faced the situation by bringing out the best from it. Don´t allow your setbacks to make a fool of you, rather, make a fool of your setbacks by making a comeback.

There is always a comeback in every setback. This is a lesson you must always learn. Giving up should never be an option.

There are three things to consider when you face setbacks.

Firstly, who do you look up to? The person you look up to gives you inspiration in life. I always look up to God. He is the situation changer who picks street boys and make them world changers. I look up to God because He knows the end even from the beginning. Look up to God when you encounter setbacks. Your story is not the first and will definitely  not be the last. many people faced your situation and even worse ones but they survived by looking up to God.
"The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful,He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure." 1 Corinthians 10: 13(New Living Translation).

Secondly, who do you look forward to? Those you look forward to are those you do not want to disappoint. They are those who will be hurt the most when bad things happen to you. I look up to my mother and sisters, and family because they have always been there for me. I will therefore not quit in life because i want them to have use of me. I look forward to my future wife and kids, though i am not married, because they will be my family when i am married. I look forward to people who i must transform through my ministry because that will make me fulfil my ministry, that i will say one day, "of all that you gave me i lost none". Look forward to things and that will always give you hope that will make you change your situation. The more you concentrate on your setbacks, the more you may not see the brighter side of life

Lastly, who do you want to be? Do you want the world to remember your name as the guy who committed suicide after failing three exams? Do you want the world to know you as the lady who did not marry because some men she dated cheated on her? Do you want to be noted for failure as you quit after facing bankruptcy? No, there is still life for the tree that has been cut. Downfall of man is never the end of his life.

Arise, gather all you can, and face the world again. Motivate yourself and know that there is no pride and victory in quitting. There is pride in fighting, for even if you die along the journey, your name will forever be remembered.

Do not quit because of your setbacks, use them to make an instrumental comeback.