“The past is a place of reference, not a place of residence,” says Dr. Willie Jolley in his aptly-titled book “A Setback Is a Setup for a Comeback.” Indeed, your past failure should not hold you hostage. Regardless of what it might have been, you can always make a comeback if you develop an attitude of resilience and excellence. Exhibit A is Tiger Woods.
Tiger Woods was once the symbol of excellence. But at the pinnacle of his golf career, he fell from grace to disgrace. For 14 long years (between 2005 and 2019), defeats, setbacks, and humiliation marred his career: He “had battled a series of injuries as well as dealt with the damage from a public divorce, substance abuse and an arrest. Written off as too old, at the current age of 43 years, to the public eye, he had lost credibility, sponsorships and wealth” (George Skaria, Senior editor of Businessworld based in New Delhi).
TIGER’S COMEBACK: By the time Tiger entered the 2019 Masters tournament, the most important of all annual golf tournaments, many had written him off as finished, and given him only a 5% chance of winning. But against all the odds, the Tiger prevailed. He made a remarkable comeback by winning the Masters on April 14, 2019. His dramatic victory is arguably the most incredible and inspiring comeback stories in sports history. Following that win, several congratulatory tweets were advanced, often drawing lessons on the dramatic comeback from his setbacks:
—“As Tiger Woods has proved, The best response to setbacks is to repair, rebuild & restore to past glory. Where there’s a will, there’s a way” (Piers Morgan).
—“There are very few athletes who’ve been knocked down the way Tiger Woods has, and he still keeps coming back” (Joe Favorito).
—“If you fall, there are those who will want to grind you underground in your spot. The likes of Tiger Woods remind to get up, get back, and keep working again towards success” (Tomi Daniel).
—“Congratulations, Tiger! To come back and win the Masters after all the highs and lows is a testament to excellence, grit, and determination” (Barack Obama).
—“Spoke to Tiger Woods to congratulate him on the great victory he had in yesterday’s Masters, & to inform him that because of his Success & Comeback in Sports (Golf) and, more importantly, LIFE, I will be presenting him with the PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM! (Donald J. Trump).
[NOTE: The medal is one of the highest civilian awards in America. The date set for the award has just been announced as Monday, May 6, 2019 in the White House Rose Garden.]
FAILURE IS NOT FINAL: Life is full of setbacks, no matter who you are and what you’ve accomplished. 100 out of every 100 experience failure in life. But as elucidated in my bestselling book SIX MORE CHANCES (subtitled “Success in the Midst of Failure”), failure is never permanent. You can always bounce back. Setbacks in life should not set you back. They’re stepping stones. Step on the stones and move upward and forward. Every valley is sandwiched by mountains. It’s why you must choose victory, not victimhood.
Have you been stung by failure? Are you hurting from the shame of your self-inflicted wounds? Have you lost hope, feeling that your relationship, health, studies, business, or profession is over? FAILURE IS NEVER FINAL! You can bounce back and thrive again—IF you respond in humility and repentance. After Nebuchadnezzar’s failure and humiliation, God’s grace reversed his misfortunes: “I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding RETURNED to me… My reason RETURNED to me, … my honor and splendor RETURNED to me. My counselors and nobles RESORTED to me, I was RESTORED to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was ADDED to me” (Daniel 4:34, 36). God’s restorative grace at work!
Don’t be discouraged by the pain, loss, shame, gossip, slander, gloating, and other malicious acts that attend failure. “Lift up your eyes to heaven” and bounce back. That’s restoration! Don’t give up. IT’S NOT OVER! After failure empties your cup, God’s grace can fill it to its brim again! (Proverbs 24:16; Micah 7:8; Psalm 37:23, 24.)
Learn from past mistakes and carefully apply their lessons. But let no one define you by your past. As stated in an earlier thought-nugget, because of Christ’s incredible comeback, you can also come back from the 5D’s of life: Defeats, Disappointments, Doubts, Despairs, and, the most crushing of all, Death. However seemingly insurmountable your circumstances, cling to “The Comeback of Ages” —Jesus Christ our Lord. He can give you your comeback. It’s why you must ignore your worst critics. Prove the naysayers wrong by developing an attitude of resilience and excellence, and before long those who’ve written your premature obituary will witness your resurrection and exaltation. Now is the time for you to make your comeback. —Samuel Koranteng-Pipim
© Samuel Koranteng-Pipim: Permission is granted to share thought nuggets from this website provided they are reproduced in full and are for non-commercial use only. Pertinent quotes can also be excerpted from the nuggets and shared with others. Users of both nuggets and/or quotes must acknowledge Samuel Koranteng-Pipim as the author and give the appropriate EAGLESonline link as the source.
SAMUEL KORANTENG-PIPIM,PH.D. , is a US-based Ghanaian author, inspirational speaker, leadership trainer, and an advocate for youth empowerment. He was trained in engineering and systematic theology, and has authored more than twenty books. They include his bestselling works Hope Through the Dark, Six More Chances, Healed Wounds but Ugly Scars, and Patience in the Midst of Trials and Afflictions. Dr. Pipim currently directs two Centers for Leadership Development known as EAGLES (Empowerment & Advisory Group for Leadership, Excellence, & Service) and ANANSE (African Network & Advisory for Needed Services & Excellence). www.EAGLESonline.org. He also serves as a special consultant on Bible projects for Remnant Publications. 