Disappointments or Destiny?

If you have never read any of my previous posts or blogs, let me start by telling you I usually ramble quite a lot.
For me, having a blog-even one that I only update once every few months (my conscience is rolling her eyes at me :-P)- is a way for me to deal with my emotions and the stress we all sometimes go through.
I do try and talk about things we all experience at some point in our life so maybe this blog might help you with your own problems. I like to think I help :-)
So the issue for today is disappointments.

If you tell me you have never faced disappointment in your life, I only have three words for you-Let's swap lives!
Not many (if any) people are fortunate enough to say that and I am no exception. I've faced many disappointments in my life. There are times when you decide to take the initiative and set yourself a goal which you hope to reach by a certain time, only to experience that draining emotion we all hate-failure!
You try and try, thinking that this is the best you can do, that you will reach your goal this time round only to be knocked down on your backside again. It's usually at times like these, others try and help you out by telling you to keep persevering, that determination and wishful thinking will help you achieve you goal in the future. Never give up.
I always used to look at these pieces of advice as nothing more than my friends and family's attempt to cheer me up. But now, looking back, I see what they said held a lot of truth in it.

So now, I have a new motto- "A true failure is not one who gets knocked back, it's one who refuses to get back up and carry on".
And that makes me think. All the setbacks we suffer, all the things that make us wish we had never been born or that we had a better life, it all helps shape us into who we are. Our character is built through these events and how we deal with them become what we call our 'life experiences'.
Those are the things we can look back on with pride and pass on to our children and grandchildren because we can say those are the obstacles we overcame in our lives to get us to where we are.
Is it truly fair to call them disappointments then? Or are they just sign boards that point out opportunities  to you, showing you the right way to your destiny? The place you were always meant to reach?

I guess it's a question no one can answer until they get to that point in life where they can say they have fulfilled their destiny :-)