Look for Lesson Setbacks serve. They bring with them lessons about you, about life, about relationships. When a setback erupts in your path, do not dowse flames without first examining its lesson. Learning lessons that your setbacks deliver to you is one of ways you build your resilience. Prepare yourself for next surprise by learning something from this one—look for lesson.

Build on Past Successes Sometimes your setback might seem too much to handle. There may be times you find it hard to go on, especially after significant personal loss of a relationship or a loved one. To help yourself bounce back during such difficult times, think about other challenges that you have faced in your lifetime. Think about how you dealt with them—and how you came through them. What worked for you at those times? Was it taking a vacation, talking to counselor, watching "I Love Lucy" reruns, or taking a leave of absence from your job? Whatever it was, ask yourself if it is time to do it again.

Plan Rejuvenation Sometimes when we experience a setback, it can kick us into high gear. We force ourselves to try harder, work longer, do more. If setbacks motivate you to take action, that’s fine—as long as it is not at expense of your self-nurturing. Self-nurturing, time spent rejuvenating your energy and replenishing your spirit, is more important after a setback than at any other time. Go get a massage, take a yoga class, melt in a tub of lavender suds, chat endlessly on phone with a friend. Do whatever it is that deeply nourishes you. Make care and feeding of yourself a top priority during times of personal challenge. It will ensure that you bounce back faster.

Ask Yourself a Powerful Question Instead of asking yourself questions that further burden you—like "How could this happen to me?" or "What did I do to deserve this?"—ask yourself powerful questions that help build your resilience. Find ways to uplift yourself; shift your view of situation by asking questions such as "How can I turn things around?" and "How can I support myself during this challenging time?" Even if you don’t get an answer right away, keep asking yourself these powerful questions until guidance that will best serve you appears.

It is your ability to bounce back after setbacks that will keep you successful and fulfilled over long haul of your career and your life. What matters is not how many times you find yourself face down in sand, but how many times you get back up and dust yourself off. Take just one of these principles to start with, then add another and another until resilient responses are second-nature to you. As you build these skills, why not start day with this bold affirmation: "Go ahead, Life, send me a setback. I eat setbacks for breakfast; they are great fuel for day!"

Caterina Rando, MA, MCC, helps people achieve success with ease. She is a success speaker, master certified coach and author of the award winning national best-seller "Learn to Power Think." To find out about her book, free e-zine, free articles and other resources, visit http://www.caterinar.com. Caterina can also be reached by email at cpr@caterinar.com.

Applying Leadership and Growth…. Requesting more of ourselves vs. resting on our laurels can have a huge impact in our companies and our personal lives. What we may find around corner is a renewed appreciation for ourselves/organizations and new skills that allow us to raise our standards increase our performance and amplify our contribution. When we are willing to risk what we already are, we create new opportunities. The very definition of ‘evolution’ and ‘entrepreneur’ starts with challenging individual responsibility, creativity and risk.

Making Stretch…. What are qualities you most admire in elite athletes and leaders and how do these qualities apply to you? Some examples are: Focus - Discipline/dedication - Natural talent/ability - Competitive nature/drive - Desire - Passion - Mastery They exemplify what we value most. Where in your life are you willing to find out what’s next, and what is possible?

Qualities of a Leader…. As I stated earlier, this is not a battle between sexes. It is about examining our own abilities, and as leaders asking more of ourselves while being open to growth—wherever it comes from-- breaking down traditional barriers and pushing through to a new level.

How story ends…. So how did Annika do? At conclusion of day 1 at Colonial, she was at par, and on second day struggled and did not make final cut. Since Colonial, she has one her last two tournaments. Quoting her after last weekend’s playoff win: “At Colonial it was journey to winning. Maybe with all that pressure I experienced then, that’s what helped me to pull through today.”

Based on these results, do you think she is better off today for taking risk? I think she demonstrates living your best life. I wish her great success, whatever that ends up being.