Vampire Knight.

♠ Thursday, March 5, 2009

Kaname Kuran; Yuuki Kuran; Zero Kiryuu

When Things Go Wrong, Try, Try, Again
by Christine Longmore

Everyone has his or her own way of coping with the disappointment that comes from failure. Some people can easily pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and start over again. People who tend to be hard on themselves may create their own barriers to getting past failure. Many times we are truly our own toughest critics. Other people – our friends, family, and co-workers, are usually much more generous with compliments than we are with ourselves. Therefore, I keep a sheet of paper in my office in plain view with a list of positive adjectives describing me taken from letters of recommendation I've received over the years from colleagues, supervisors, and satisfied customers. I reflect on it regularly. Many of the words used to describe my professional strengths are words I wouldn't have necessarily chosen to describe myself.

My point is that we often overlook our strengths. This can also be said about failures. When things go wrong, especially in school or work, we often blame ourselves. Taking things personally such as failing an exam or a poor performance evaluation is a reaction based in emotion. It is challenging to avoid taking disappointments personally. Evelyn Kwanza, voice teacher and singer, believes, "It is imperative to nix the negative messages of oneself. It is helpful to have one's self worth wrapped up in God and not in what society, a potential employer, or what anyone else says. I am learning that positive messages are keys to getting me through disappointments."

Thirst for blood
10:21 PM