Read the following passage carefully : (1) Have you ever failed at something so miserably that the thought of attempting to do it again was the last thing you ever wanted to do ? (2) If your answer is yes, then you are '' not a robot . '' Unlike robots, we human beings have feelings, emotions, and dreams . We are all meant to grow and stretch despite our circumstances and our limitations . Flourishing and trying to make our dreams come true is great when life is going our way . But what happens when it is not ? What happens when you fail despite all of your hard work ? Do you stay down and accept the defeat or do you get up again and again until you are satisfied ? If you have a tendency to preserve and keep going then you have what the experts call, grit . (3) Falling down or failing is one of the most agonizing, embarrassing and scariest human experiences . But it is also one of the most educational, empowering and essential parts of living a successful and fulfilling life . Did you know that perseverance (grit) is one of the seven qualities that have been described as the keys to personal success and betterment in society ? The other six are : curiosity, gratitude, optimism, self-control, social intelligence, and zest . Thomas Edison is a model for grit for trying `1,000` plus times to invent the light bulb . If You reading this with the lights on in your room, you know well that he succeeded . When asked why he kept going despite his hundreds of failures, he merely stated that they were not failures . They were hundreds of ways not to create a light bulb . This statement not only revealed his grit but also his optimism for looking at the bright side . (4) Grit can be learnt to help you become more successful . One of the techniques that help is mindfulness . Mindfulness is a practice that helps the individual stay in the moment by bringing awareness of his or her experience without judgement . This practice has been used to quiet the noise of their fears and doubts . Through the simle practice of mindfulness , individuals will have the ability to stop the self - sabotaging downward spiral of hopelessness, despair and frustration . (5) What did you do to overcome the negative and self - sabotaging feelings of failure ? Reflect on what you did, and try to use those same powerful resources to help you today . How are humans different from robots ?