How to “Take an L” and Bounce Back with a Lesson Learned

In hip-hop culture, when you take an “L,” you’ve taken a loss. But how do we transform an “L” into a lesson instead?

“Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Throughout my lifetime, I hope to have volumes of lessons learned. Let’s say I’m off to a good start.

Some of my lessons are on the top shelf of my life, away from my reach and others are right where I can see them. Not every lesson in my life was handed down by a smiling wise woman who had already lived the lesson so I wouldn’t have to.

No, I’ve frequently taken an “L” to learn many life lessons. And many of these “losses” were of my own making.

“L” = Loss, But it Can Become a Lesson.

The phrase “take an L” became popular when hip-hop artist and rapper Big Sean hit the charts with his famous song “Bounce Back.” “Bounce Back” is a song dedicated to Big Sean’s ability to rise above taking an L, also known as a Loss.

The phrase “bounce back” comes from the idiom, “bounce back harder than before.”

So, what are losses? Can a loss be transmuted or transformed? How do we learn to…