Why Every Descent Is Followed By An Ascent Success doesn't happen despite the challenges but mainly because of them.
By Zach Cutler •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Every day, millions of people around the world endure hardships and difficulty. During challenging times, we often feel tremendous pain, whether spiritual, psychological, emotional or physical. In our darkest hour of despair, we may even feel like giving up.
Related: 5 Challenges Nobody Warns You About When Starting a Business
But there is another way to look at setbacks and difficulties.
What if, instead of seeing a challenge as a roadblock preventing you from making progress, you viewed that same challenge as the very thing that might propel you to get you where you want to go?
I have discovered over the course of my career and personal life that the challenges we face are what push us to the next level. Challenges enable us to grow and get to the next level.
I believe in a simple law of the universe: Every descent is followed by an ascent.
If internalized, this idea can transform your business, relationships and outlook on life. Your success does not happen despite the challenges. It happens mainly because of them.
Oftentimes, it's precisely when you are dealing with struggles and setbacks that you regroup, reevaluate, and summon an inner will you didn't even know you had, only to emerge stronger than we ever were before.
You don't achieve success in business unless you work hard. It's a struggle, day in and day out. And the harder you work or the harder you struggle, the more success you'll have.
Every successful startup or major company has endured its share of obstacles, setbacks, and rough patches that made it iterate, change its products or pivot to actually become the great product or company it is today.
No great leap can be made without pulling back and making a running start.
Related: 9 'Mindsets' You Need to Switch From Employee to Entrepreneur
In my own experience, every quantum leap of growth my company has made since I founded it seven years ago was preceded by a hurdle, which we had to overcome. Here are just a few examples:
I was burned by one of my biggest clients during one of my first years in business. At the time, I was offering both public relations and business-development services, and it was only after that burn that I realized I wanted to focus on PR exclusively.
It took losing several clients for me to realize that I should focus on tech as my niche. By choosing tech, the firm began to specialize and thereafter built a strong reputation in the industry.
We lost a number of clients right before our company grew from a consultancy to a small business. We lost another group just before we grew from a small business to a midsize company. Those leaps happened in large part because once we lost the clients, we regrouped, injected new energy, focused, and doubled down on our efforts.
Most recently, our website was hacked. This incident ultimately led us to completely revitalize our marketing program, which has been of great strategic importance.
The darkest hour of the night is just before the dawn. A seed must disintegrate into the dirt before it can blossom into a flower. And every high is preceded by a low.
Related: 6 Proven Strategies to Rebound From Failure
I've seen this pattern repeat itself time and time again. The lesson is to never despair when you hit a low point. Instead, recognize it as an opportunity to reach higher than you ever thought possible.
