Embrace Setbacks, Adorn Vulnerability and Be a Trailblazer

Life as perceived by a majority, is not all plain sailing. The primary reasons for the same can be the uncertainty associated with it and the fact that it is bound by time. This uncertainty comes in the form of setbacks. These setbacks vary in the form of losing out on an important tournament, not making a cut to your dream job, a breakup (only for those who ought to be earnest), losing your loved ones and in an archetypal case, getting fired from a company you once founded. Though having nothing common, the outcome of these incidents is the same. Individuals hit rock bottom and they are vulnerable. Here, people tend to have contradictory views for their vulnerability. For some, they were unfortunate being vulnerable and no one should go through such a phase. While for trailblazers of life who think outside the box, vulnerability was indispensable. 

Individuals start with something pure and exciting. Then comes the mistakes and then, the compromises. Majority associate their vulnerability as a taboo. If accepted, vulnerability would be demeaning to them. Contrary to the aforementioned views, the trailblazers of life prove that though vulnerability makes a person reckless, it also makes them creative and pave new paths for their growth. The introspection makes an individual realise their forte and where they went wrong. In this process, an individual emerge who has nothing to lose but a point to prove. Thus, these setbacks are quintessential turning points in one’s life and they are a must for them to be a trailblazer. Often, these setbacks come in the form of the worst mistakes in an individual’s life.

Robert Downey Jr has been Forbes highest paid actor for three consecutive years and face of the Marvel franchise is one such trailblazer. Dropping out of high school, his career was at its summit in the late 1980s. In 2003, he also gave an outstanding performance in the film Less Than Zero. Playing a role of an affluent kid whose life derailed amidst a distressing heroin addiction. Little did people know that Robert’s real-life would soon uncannily remind one of his role at the silver screen. Downey’s life was in doldrums after being a drug addict, spending time in rehabilitation centre and getting fired from his TV show Ally McBeal.

When Downey’s career was inching towards a fatal end, it was the right time to make a move. With all he was left with, there was nothing to lose but everything to gain. By the year 2005, Downey came back with a series of Hollywood blockbusters. Finally, in the year 2008, he resurrected his career by signing the most expensive contract as Marvel’s Iron Man. In his speech at the People's Choice Award, Downey admitted the fact that sometimes you need to be drop kicked out of the nest and that even the bad years are pretty good in a person’s life. His vulnerability made him rectify his mistakes. This vulnerability is a stark truth of life even for the eminent ones. 

In the year 1985, something similar happened with the co-founder of Apple Incorporation, Steve Jobs. A thirty-year-old American business magnate, who was a global celebrity and who had a humbling fall. He was fired from the company he founded. After a four-month in mourning, what came next was Apple’s renaissance. In the year 1990, Jobs started his company NeXT followed by the launch of Pixar Animation Studio. NeXT was soon acquired by Apple and it marked the return of Jobs back in Cupertino. In his speech at the Stanford college in 2005, Jobs acknowledged the fact that getting fired from Apple was an absolute necessity an eye-opener. The fear of having nothing to lose made him think in a more innovative way and he came back stronger than ever. Another set of trailblazers use their vulnerability as a steppingstone to gain eminence. 

Another such trailblazer defying the odds is Adele Adkins. After getting graduated from the BRIT school in the year 2006, her career started on a high note. Being a teenager, she released her first album 19 in the year 2008 and in a blink of an eye Adele was a millionaire. Everything was running smooth till the time she got her setback. In 2011, her vulnerability initiated in a form which is relatable to millennials, a heart wrenching break-up. This was followed by Adele sabotaging herself. Her vocal cords were damaged due to haemorrhage. It was anticipated that she might not sing ever again.

Evidently, even after hits like Set fire to the rain, Someone like you and Rolling in the deep, her career was moving towards a premature end. Adele took the next four years of emotional gloom as a steppingstone to be one of the world’s most eminent voices. In the year 2015, she released her album, 25. Hello debuted at the top of Billboard Hot 100 and reigned for 10 consecutive weeks. Her career was soaring new heights and she came back stronger than ever. In an interview with BBC, she admitted that one should be brave and fearless even if they are making a wrong decision and that the same decision compels you to do wonders. 

Faint-hearted might point out that precaution is better than cure and no one should suffer. Such a phase is gloomy and might push an individual into an abysmal state of despondency. There is no one to be blamed. Since forever, a win is celebrated while a defeat is a cause to repent. The fetters of another failure or loss make individuals believe that there is no escape. What if it is okay to lose? There is no denial that individuals suffer due to their vulnerability but what about its greater good? What if losing is an integral part of an individual’s learning curve? J.K. Rowling was rejected 12 times before she could publish her masterpiece Harry Potter. Colonel Sanders lost 1009 times in terms of receiving rejections before KFC could be a reality. Walt Disney was turned down 302 times before Mickey Mouse became a part of our lives. There was one thing common to all of them, they had nothing to lose but everything to gain. Similarly, in order to reach the higher highs in your life, setbacks are indispensable for one to grow. 

A trailblazer can be anyone. They were also once a commoner. What made the difference is their attitude towards a setback. It is an individual’s perception of their vulnerability which makes them a trailblazer or a commoner who is either doing decent or in a worst-case scenario, is still suffering. The society condemns accepting your fears and doing nothing about them, but the same society demonstrates its hypocrisy when individuals express what turmoil they are going through. Hitting rock bottom is human but accepting your defeat and losing the will to act on it is not. The merit of a setback is always misinterpreted. Higher profits are associated with higher risks. Similarly, people always stress on the fact that in order to be a winner one should think outside the box but criticise a person who practices it. No one is born a winner but individuals mould themselves to be one. How do they achieve this? The answer is simple. They embrace setbacks, adorn their vulnerability by accepting that it is indispensable and be a trailblazer!