TED Conversations

sh 12

This conversation is closed. Start a new conversation
or join one »

What gives you motivation/strength when you fail?

Each of us has a kind of source of motivation that drive us when our life seems dark. I am first year medical student and I am facing many challenges and obstacles. How do you keep living with full enthusiasm and inspiration? I think I could apply this to my life, otherwise I alone cannot cope with it.
thank you!

Topics: failure inspiration life motivation
0
Share:
progress indicator
  • thumb

    Siony Hijara

    • +1
    Feb 20 2013: When I was in high school we were asked to either a declamation or deliver and oratorical piece. I did the latter and my piece was titled - We can always begin again.

    Every time I get into bumps...I always go back to that piece to give me more strength to bounce back.
  • thumb

    Sarah Homan

    • +1
    Feb 4 2013: As someone who has suffered a spinal cord injury and is still recovering physically.. I HAVE to stay motivated. I have realized over the last couple of years motivation is the hardest thing to hold on to. Day after day of the same exercises, same struggles, and same routine get old.. But you have to keep your eye on the goal. The way I stay true to myself is nature and music.. I do a lot of walking to help me and I decided to explore every trail and every beautiful road I could find in my city. Have my headphones on and just walk as far as I can. Fresh air, beautiful surroundings, and great tunes gives me all the hope I can ask for. Takes my mind away from my own life for a moment and that gives me a great sense of relief.
    No matter how crappy things in your life can become, the world around you is still beautiful.. (:
  • thumb

    Nicholas Northardt

    • +2
    Feb 1 2013: That I can get better. As an athlete, I have to think there's always someone better than me, and there always is. And the reward that you get when you over come an obstacle that has stopped you before can be unbelievable. So for me I guess it would be chasing the high of victory for another day.
  • thumb

    W. Ying 10+

    • 0
    Jan 30 2013: .
    Good SLEEP makes human the smartest and cleverest animal.
    You will cope with most difficulties easily if you sleep well at night.


    (For SLEEP, see the 1st article, point 12 (3), at https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=D24D89AE8B1E2E0D&id=D24D89AE8B1E2E0D%21283&sc=documents.)
  • thumb

    Rosa Park 500+

    • +1
    TEDx Organizer
    Jan 28 2013: I'm just a high school student so I probably don't have as serious "dark moments" in life as you do but nonetheless, when I am exhausted from failing and I am close to giving up I think about how thankful I am for everything I have. I mean, I believe that it is such an astonishing miracle to be given everything I have. I think about how some people do not have access to many things that I have and they still do their best to learn. I think about how if those dying people are still striving to jump in any chance of having a decent life, what am I doing trying to give up with all these opportunities passing by? I also sometimes think about how I've been through so much and how I am so proud of all my accomplishments in life. By thinking this, I get an ego boost/my confidence increases and I get ready to stand up and face my next challenge in life. Whatever life throws at me, I'll fight it back.
  • thumb

    Muhammad Aizat Zainal Alam 30+

    • 0
    TED Translator
    Jan 28 2013: Failure is there to make sure that you would never ever repeat the same mistakes again.Knowing that in the future I won't make the same mistakes again and that I am stronger after surviving the failure gives me the strength to go on.Good luck!

  • David Grammer

    • +3
    Jan 28 2013: There is no failure, there is only feedback. Failure is not the lack of success, it's the inability to appreciate and learn from that feedback. Failure is perception not fact.
  • thumb

    Kate Blake 50+

    • +1
    Jan 27 2013: Rising to the challenge, never ever give up!

    Life is full of challenges, they are great opportunities to build our personal strength and character.

    As Alex says persist because the world needs more doctors, but knowing that you are also human is humbling. Learn from this situation and move forward knowing that you are a better person for this lesson.

  • Alex Velazquez

    • +1
    Jan 27 2013: Replacing the word "failure" from the vocabulary and replace it with "opportunity to learn something new" might help. I think every time we "fail" we have to be humble and accept a simple truth: we don't know everything; and with same token embrace our uneasy soul and with the spirit of a scientist be eager and ready to learn something new. You are a student, this is your moment to fail! And one more thing: we really need you. There are not enough medicine doctors out there.

  • greg dahlen 20+

    • 0
    Jan 27 2013: It is hard to comment because you haven't told us what the specific challenges and obstacles are.
  • thumb

    Fritzie Reisner 100+

    • +2
    Host
    Jan 27 2013: A collection of approaches may help you.

    One is to focus on whether you are making a committed effort, acting with integrity and compassion, and learning from your missteps. You will still make mistakes, get worn out, and even disappoint people some of the time, but living your life with purpose, integrity, and compassion is, perhaps, a higher goal at which you are doing very well?

    You mention you are a medical student. From this I suspect you may not be getting nearly adequate sleep, eating properly, or getting exercise out in the fresh air. If you try to build these in, you will likely have more energy and optimism than if you are sleep deprived and not eating properly.

    Your relationships with people and a sense of helping others can be highly uplifting, and as a medical student, you likely interact with people frequently and have opportunities to do things large and small, some of which take essentially no time. If you listen to Drew Dudley's TED talk on Every Day Leadership, you will get a sense of what I mean. It is a way of life.

    One of my favorite writers is Rachel Naomi Remens, a physician at UCSF medical school. She works with medical professionals on exactly the sort of challenges you are probably facing and also has written several wonderfully inspiring books. If you look her up and go to her website, you will get some of the flavor of how she approaches these issues with small groups of medical professionals. She finds that medical professionals often hold their pain inside, thinking, perhaps, that this is what professionalism is about. Her two books are Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather's Blessing. I cannot remember which is which, but as a physician in training, you may benefit from looking at either one.
  • thumb

    Gail . 50+

    • 0
    Jan 27 2013: Self-awareness.

    A self-aware person understands not only what the objective is; a self-aware person knows WHY the objective is, and is pursuing an objective worthy of him/her self. Then there is no need for finding enthusiasm, inspiration, motivation, or strength. Obstacles become challenges.
  • thumb

    Farokh Shahabi Nezhad 10+

    • +1
    TED Translator
    Jan 27 2013: Life is changing all the time. If you are in a bad place in your life that will change and if you're in a good place guess what, that will change too!
    This change gives us hope, gives us strength to move on. You just should hope for it and try hard to make it happen.
Showing all 13 comments