“You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call ‘failure’ is not the falling down, but the staying down.” Mary Pickford

So you gave it (the relationship, the job, the life change) your best shot and it didn’t work. You had a minor setback. You hit a major snag. You had an absolute defeat.

Now what?

As tempting as it can be to throw in the towel and give up, hold off until the dust settles.Then, take a look at what happened and figure out what you can learn from it.

Did it really go wrong or was the outcome simply not what you expected? Was there a flaw in the plan, in the execution of the plan or in your expectations? What could or should you have done differently?

Once you have learned all you can from the experience, stand up and brush the dust from your spirit.

And then try again—from a wiser, more experienced place.