In her 2016 commencement speech to the graduates at the University of California at Berkley, Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, spoke in public for the first time about the loss of her husband since his death just over a year prior to that day. She spoke of what she learned about death and survival and reiterated advice from her Rabbi to “Lean into the suck.”

Entrepreneurs Lean Into the Suck

As entrepreneurs, there is no doubt that you will face many obstacles. People you love will doubt you and your intentions. People you don’t know will question your decisions. Competitors will outperform you, and you will fail. In business failure IS an option, because it’s the best way to learn. There are no mistakes, only lessons.

What lessons have you learned from your failures? Comment below.

Plan-Do-Review

Founder & CEO of eWomenNetwork, Sandra Yancey, offers a technique to help you make the best of those failures called, “Plan-Do-Review.” It is in the review that we learn what worked and what didn’t. It is a necessary process without which we can not improve and grow.

Sandra says, “Things don’t happen to you, they happen for you.” She explains that the universe is granting you obstacles to groom you for when it happens again in the future. When it does you will be ready and able to handle it with ease and grace.

Things don’t happen to you, they happen for you”~Sandra Yancey

Wayne Gretzky Advice

 Sandra sites this story of NHL star, Wayne Gretzky, to illustrate her point. Gretzky outscored everyone he played, since he was 9 years old. He was known back then and until the day he retired in 1999 as, “The Great Wayne Gretzky.” Gretzky says it was his father’s advice at a very young age that earned him the title. His advice, “Skate to where the puck is going, not to where it has been.” That advice helped him get 2,857 points by the end of his career.

Embrace the Suck

One of eWomenNetwork’s Celebrity Science clients, Stephanie Chung, is known as the “High Ticket Sales Closer.” In this video she talks about how to “Embrace the Suck,” because we all have crappy days. Her advice, disengage, so you can re-engage.

Pain is Inevitable, Suffering is a Choice

One of Sandra Yancey’s close friends and mentor, Hyrum Smith, is the Co-Founder and former CEO of Franklin Covey, Inc. He is a global thought leader, speaker and author of numerous books about finding inner peace. Hyrum lost a daughter and grandchild in a car accident several years ago. How does a parent reconcile such a loss? Shortly after 911, Hyrum was asked to speak to the families of those who perished in the attacks. How does a family member find peace in that? How do we “lean into the suck” for such a horrendous life-changing event? Hyrum’s words of wisdom for these sad souls was simple. It’s what helped him overcome his own grief: “Pain is inevitable, misery is optional.”

The point is, life will suck sometimes. Know it, own it and then do something about it.