Encountering Defeat

 Maya Angelou 

We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated. It may be necessary to encounter the defeat so that we can know who we are. So that we can see, Oh, that happened, and I rose up. I did get knocked down flat in front of the whole world and I rose up. I didn't run away -- I rose back up right where I'd been knocked down. And that's how you get to know yourself. You say, I can get up! I have enough of life in me to make somebody jealous enough to want to knock me down. I have so much courage in me that I have the effrontery, the incredible gall to stand up. And that's it.