By Sulekha Rawat

I have just received some earth shattering news and am reeling under its shock, wanting to share it with my friends, and then it hits me. I don't have an earth-shattering news sharing friend, I do have a 3 a.m. friend, a going to the sales friend, going for walks friend, gym buddy, movie-loving friend, but no, spilling my guts to, kind of friend. Why don't I have such a friend? Because gut spilling is gory, messy and bloody, not everyone's cup of tea.

Everybody has their own issues, problems, and stress to deal with, and to even think of adding to their lot, is selfish and mean. What will I achieve after baring my soul to them, nothing? I would just be making them feel miserable for me and that's not what friends do, right? I can unburden myself on my laptop and be done with it, without making it lose sleep over my problems.

I have two choices here, either I can mope and sulk the whole time and walk around with my head hung below my knees and sigh intermittently or take a long hard look at my situation and weigh my options and then take a call. No matter what I do, I will still be faced with the exact same problems but in the latter case, I would be better prepared, emotionally, to deal with it all.

Life throws curve balls at you and keeps you on your toes, lest you become complacent and lose the zest for life. The secret is to always keep your chin up and to face the problems head-on, instead of burrowing your heads in the sand and hoping for a miracle. We have to find a solution to the problems and move ahead in life and not be a quitter and give up whenever the going gets a little tough." To err is human; to learn from our mistakes is smart learning."

There are speed bumps on the roads for a reason, to slow down the over speeding vehicles, to prevent them from causing an accident and ruining lives. They make you drop speed and invite your ire but they are trying to protect you from harm, for your own good. Failures in life are just those, speed bumps. They caution you to be careful, not hurt yourself and the others travelling by your side.

Recover from every stumble and get your footing back after every time you slip along the journey of life. Every twist teaches us a valuable lesson and every turn is a straight pathway to success, if only, you recognize them for what they are. Be strong, don't ever give up and march towards the finish line, with a big smile on your face. Life is a journey and is meant to be enjoyed not endured. Live life to the fullest, notwithstanding the cards you've been dealt with.

Be a winner, eventually, forget the losses along the way, they were meant to be, a tedious necessity, to propel you towards success.