The person who failed often knows how to avoid future failures.
If you want something bad enough, never give up (and take a boost when offered).
It's not how hard you hit. It's how hard you get hit... and keep moving forward.
Look for the best in everybody
Too many people go through life complaining about their problems. I've always believed that if you took one tenth the enrgy you put into complaining and applied it to solving the problem, you'd be surprised by how well things can work out.
There's a lot of talk these days about giving children self-esteem. It's not something you can give; it's something they have to build.