The beauty is that through disappointment you can gain clarity, and with clarity comes conviction and true originality.

Conan O'Brien

In his 2011 commencement speech at Dartmouth College, comedian Conan O’Brien drew from his own experiences with disappointment to deliver this poignant quote. After O’Brien lost his job as host of “The Tonight Show,” he was able to turn that setback into success, becoming the host of his own long-running talk show. This quote reminds us that the very moments that look like failure can be opportunities in disguise — opportunities to learn, to grow, and to gain wisdom and clarity that can lead us to achieve even greater things.