PRO BLOG: DOJO MINDSET | September 22, 2025
By: Josh Paul
SETBACKS & DISAPPOINTMENT
We all take a hard fall at some point in our journey. Every single one of us. Nobody coasts through life untouched, undefeated, or perfectly successful. It just doesn’t happen. And when we do get knocked down, our first reaction is usually disappointment—and that’s completely natural. Sometimes we chalk it up to bad luck, unfair treatment, or forces working against us. And you know what? Sometimes those things really are true. But other times, it’s just as true that we’re still learning, that we miscalculated, or that we’re reaching beyond our current level. Those possibilities are just harder to admit when we’re sitting on the ground with a bloody nose.
That disappointment comes from how we judge the moment. We instantly label it: “This is bad.” But are we really wise enough to know what’s good or bad in the big picture? I’ll be the first to admit I’m not. Over my 30 years in professional baseball, I’ve learned that my track record of predicting how things will turn out isn’t great. Every time a door slammed shut, a new opportunity eventually opened—but in the moment, I couldn’t see it. It just felt like failure.
What I didn’t realize at first was that these “failures” were actually feedback—honest, often uncomfortable feedback—that broke through my illusions. Mike Tyson said it best: “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Even he, the heavyweight champ of the world, faced moments so overwhelming that he lost control. But those moments eventually forced reflection, growth, and redirection.
So there you are, sitting in the dirt with a sore lip and a bruised ego. What matters most now is your next choice. And no, this isn’t one of those “just get up and keep fighting no matter what” pep talks. Blindly ramming yourself into the same brick wall isn’t resilience—it’s stubbornness. Real growth comes from making a smart choice. You can go over, under, around, through, or even away. Every option is valid, depending on the situation, your goal, and what it’s worth to you. The important thing is to choose the path that serves you best—physically, mentally, and emotionally.
At the end of the day, every stumble offers something valuable: feedback. If you can see it for what it really is, you’ll realize that the setback isn’t just a wound—it’s a gift. And if you use it well, it might turn out to be the very thing that propels you forward.
Enjoying the Dojo Mindsets? You can collaborate more with Josh Paul at his website The Lobo Dojo