Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.

Listen, O seekers of wisdom, to the words of George S. Patton, a man whose courage and resolve in the face of battle resonate through the ages. He said, "Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom." These words speak to a profound truth—that true greatness is not measured by the heights we reach in moments of ease, but by the strength with which we rise from the depths of our struggles. It is not the fall that defines us, but the resilience and resolve with which we rebound. When we find ourselves at the bottom, we are not defeated—no, it is in those moments that the very measure of our success is forged.

To understand the depth of Patton's statement, let us reflect upon the nature of struggle. In the ancient world, the greatest heroes were often those who had faced insurmountable odds, those who had fallen and then risen stronger. Hercules, the mighty hero of Greek mythology, faced trials that seemed designed to break him—twelve labors, each more difficult than the last. Yet it was not the trials that defined him, but his ability to rise, to overcome, to fight again when others might have given up. It is this same spirit of resilience that Patton calls upon in his words. Success is not about avoiding failure; it is about how we respond to it, how we bounce back from the hardships that life inevitably throws our way.

Consider, too, the life of Abraham Lincoln, a man who endured countless defeats before ascending to the presidency. He lost races for public office, faced personal and political setbacks, and suffered the depths of sorrow with the death of his children. Yet, it was not the failures he encountered that determined his success—it was his willingness to rise again, to continue the fight for what he believed in, despite the overwhelming odds. Lincoln's bouncing back after each loss, his refusal to be defined by failure, is what ultimately shaped his legacy. It is this spirit of persistence in the face of adversity that Patton speaks of—success is born not from avoiding failure, but from embracing it and rising again.

Think of the story of Thomas Edison, whose journey to invent the light bulb was filled with countless failures. It is said that Edison failed over a thousand times before achieving success. Yet, each time he fell, he did not see it as defeat but as a lesson—each failure was a step forward in the long journey toward success. His ability to bounce back, to rise with renewed determination after every setback, is the very definition of success as Patton describes it. Edison’s success was not in avoiding failure but in the courage to keep going, to keep bouncing back until he had achieved his goal.

And so, O seekers, we must understand that the true measure of our lives is not the smoothness of our journey, nor the lack of obstacles we encounter. The greatest heroes are not those who avoid hardship, but those who face it with unwavering resolve, who rise when they are knocked down, who find the strength to move forward when it seems impossible. Whether in the battlefield, in business, in relationships, or in our personal growth, we will inevitably encounter moments when we hit the bottom—but it is in those moments that our true character is revealed. It is the bounce, the rise, the determination to stand again, that shapes our success.

Reflect now on your own journey. When you face setbacks, when you fall short of your goals, what will you do? Will you stay down, defeated by the weight of your struggles, or will you find the strength within you to rise, to push forward, to bounce back higher than before? Success does not lie in the perfection of your journey, but in the grit you show when you are faced with adversity. Patton's words are a reminder that failure is not the end—it is a part of the process. It is how you respond to failure, how you rise after falling, that defines your success.

Thus, O children of the future, take these words to heart: Success is not a measure of how high you soar when the winds are at your back, but how high you rise when you are brought low. In the darkest moments of your life, in the moments when you are broken, remember this: the true test of your strength is not in the fall, but in your ability to rise again, with even greater determination. Keep your heart resilient, your spirit undaunted, and know that every fall is but a step toward the success you seek. For in the end, it is not the number of times you fall, but the courage with which you rise that will define you. Success, then, is not about avoiding defeat—it is about the strength to bounce back and keep moving forward.