Sometimes we fail, and it feels soul-crushing. The disappointment can be demoralizing and threatens to tempt you into not trying again, not starting back at zero.

I’ve done it plenty of times. I had finally gained some weight before this last underway (going out to sea), which was a big deal for me because I was pretty thin before and it was a large source of insecurity for me, and then I lost all my gains on this underway. Just like that, I was back to nearly the same spot I started at. I was heartbroken.

It wasn’t completely my fault, I wanted to be competent in my new job, get qualified, all that good stuff. I didn’t get much sleep or the proper nutrition, some of which was my fault, some of which wasn’t, and so naturally I lost my hard-earned weight gain.

I had a different set of priorities, and not the most ideal environment to keep up my progress. I got weighed recently and I cringed at the number, stepped of the scale and all those terrible feelings I had from being skinny flooded back to me like a great nostalgic wave, and I found myself back at square one, defeated.

It’s happened to me with other things too. I’ll build up a good habit, and then succumb to temptation and ruin my progress. Or I’ll get rid of a bad habit only to go back to it in a moment of weakness when I’ve been under crushing stress.

It happens to all of us. We’re all human, and sometimes the feeling of failure is horrible enough to nearly convince you to resign to defeat, pack your things and go home. But you can’t, you shouldn’t, you won’t. Be humble enough and find that inner strength to start back at zero.

But is it really back to zero? Haven’t you been changed in some way by the progress that you made? Isn’t something different?

Like the fighter that takes on a strong opponent and loses, haven’t you learned something from the experience? Are you going to take that loss and improve from it, or will you let it keep you from getting back in the ring and fighting for what you want?

Life is a continuous battle. It doesn’t stop, and you shouldn’t stop fighting either. The warrior doesn’t fear death and does not accept defeat. The warrior rests when he dies, and accepts death when it comes, but he does not go easily, for the fight is not over until the last breath.

Don’t fear the fight. You’re in it whether you like it or not. Fight to win. Dig deep into the virtue of persistence. Pick up the sword once again, twice, or a hundred times if you must. What you want, if it be just, is worth it, and most importantly, you are worth it.

I’m going to pick up the sword again, accept that I’m not where I want to be, that I can do more, that I must do more, and go swinging into battle again.

I’ll sacrifice my pride, be humble, and get back into the gym. I’ll pick up the smaller weights, accept that I’m not as strong as I used to be, and work to get there again, and then beyond.

Put your faith over fear. Believe in yourself. If you’ve done it before, then you can do it again. It hurts, but not as badly as accepting defeat and not doing anything about it.

I know I’m not perfect. I make mistakes. In fact, I made an embarrassing mistake just the other day. I looked like an incompetent fool, and it hurt my pride. It left me frazzled, unable to focus and I nearly made more mistakes, almost making a recoverable situation nearly unrecoverable.

It took some time to recover my senses and remind myself that I’m just a human being, and I will never be perfect, and that making a mistake doesn’t define you. I’m not perfect, but I’ll work to be as close as I can be to perfection. You may have lost the battle, but the war is not over until you surrender.

It’s stressful starting from scratch, but stress is a natural byproduct of going beyond your comfort zone and a necessary part of growth. Avoid unnecessary stress and accept the stress that prompts your growth.

Avoid getting caught up in the feelings of disappointment and defeat and work towards improvement, even if you have to start back at zero.

It’s akin to climbing up a mountain, making the difficult journey halfway up, and then making a wrong step, and tumbling back down to the base of the mountain. It hurts, you’re banged up, and you look up and see all that hard-earned progress gone. It took you a long time to get to where you were, and it was back to the beginning in just a few moments that it took you to tumble down.

You can either accept your loss and stay at the bottom of the mountain and never experience the glory of reaching the summit, or you can accept the loss and stand up, but one foot in front of the other and keep climbing.

It’s tempting to not start over. It’s easy to say, “I tried,” and then throw in the towel, but what kind of story would your life be? The story of the guy who almost made it? Is that the kind of story you’d want your loved ones to remember you by? Certainly not.

You must persevere. It may or may not have been your fault that you have to start back at zero, but it is your fault if you decide to not continue on despite adversity.

What kind of person are you? Are you the type to wipe the dust and dirt off after a fall and pack up and say that you tried? Or are you the type to dust off, toughen up straighten out your shoulders, put your head up high and start again? The moment after the fall is the moment when you discover what you are really made of.

If the mountain was easy to climb, there would be little satisfaction from reaching the summit. That is why we admire those who have reached the highest of peaks, the people you have taken on the most difficult of climbs and reached the summit.

Be the one who can be admired; be an inspiration to your peers, and not just for the admiration, but so that you can be proud of yourself as well. So that you can be confident and satisfied with what you have accomplished with your time here on this earth.