One of the reasons I so enjoy the movie The Gathering Storm, featuring Albert Finney as Winston Churchill, is that the movie shows Churchill in the years leading up to World War II, when he was at a low point in his career.  Seen as a windbag by fellow members of Parliament, his personal life was in turmoil and his finances in shambles.  Still he buggered on and was an opportunist in the best sense of the word.  His best days were yet to come and Finney brings to life the side of Churchill that glimmered with hope.

What is it that makes some react to failure and great challenge by folding like a cheap lawn chair, while others rise to the challenge, learn from mistakes and rise higher?  Self-efficacy?  "The unshakable belief some people have that they have what it takes to succeed"?  Maybe.  The Wall Street Journal reports on research into those who see life's challenges differently:

"Self-efficacy differs from self-esteem in that it's a judgment of specific capabilities rather than a general feeling of self-worth. "It's easy to have high self-esteem -- just aim low," says Prof. Bandura, who is still teaching at Stanford at age 82. On the other hand, he notes, there are people with high self-efficacy who "drive themselves hard but have low self-esteem because their performance always falls short of their high standards."

Still, such people succeed because they believe that persistent effort will let them succeed. In fact, if success comes too easily, some people never master the ability to learn from criticism. "People need to learn how to manage failure so it's informational and not demoralizing," says Prof. Bandura, who signs many of his emails, "May the efficacy force be with you!" ("I've failed over and over and over again in my life. That's why I succeed," Michael Jordan has said.)"

Read the rest here.