Hearing something negative can hurt you. Getting an outcome you don't want can be painful.

I was reminded of this watching my daughter Lucy play in a tennis tournament. After a thrilling 7-6 win in her first match, she was matched immediately with a fresh player who'd had a bye in the first round and a massive forehand. It was a massacre after Lucy took the first game. A 6-1 loss.

What followed was a difficult 20 minutes filled with doubt, tears, and heartbreak, before she needed to regroup for her last match of the tournament.

It was in this moment that I should have remembered that “dirty water doesn't stop plants from growing.”

Bad outcomes can teach and motivate you. In fact, they're a much better teacher than success, because they expose areas of weakness. Potential spots for growth.

But your mindset is the differentiator. If you take a bad outcome personally, it doesn't fuel you; it halts you.

So today, let this be your reminder. Dirty water doesn't stop plants from growing.

Those outcomes you'd prefer not to experience can be the secret to reaching your next level. But only if you let them.

P.S. The Optimistic Outlook is a Podcast! Leaving a rating or review wherever you listen to podcasts would mean a lot.