Life deals all kinds of blows, but how you deal with it is what matters.

For Lauren Manning, that was not only true as she worked hard to build a successful career on Wall Street, but also has she fought for her life after suffering severe injuries on September 11.

After running late for work, Manning was in the lobby waiting for the elevator when the plane hit the first tower. The flames shot down the elevator shafts, causing third degree burns across 82.5 percent of her body. After she was rushed to the hospital, she was given only a slim chance of surviving her injuries. She spoke recently at the Women of the Channel event in New York City.

In just a few months Manning was able to walk, move out of the hospital to a rehabilitation facility, and she said most importantly, see her young son again.

Click here to see a video of Manning's talk.

"I did it with the help of many," Manning said. "We became a very cohesive team with one goal which was I would gain 100 percent recovery and I would settle for nothing less...It began to pay off."

Manning said that is exactly how it works in business, as well. She said she went "to work" seven days a week for eight hours a day on her recovery and built a team around her to achieve her goals. 

Take a look at five lessons Manning said could be taken away from her inspirational story.

1. Defeat Is Temporary

The first lesson that Manning shared from her journey is that defeat is only temporary. She said her parents had raised her and her siblings to on the principle that things happen, and you're not the first nor the last to experience hardship. As she pushed herself through her recovery, Manning said she tried to think about always pushing toward her goal of complete recovery. 

"There's only one direction to go and that's forward," Manning said.

2. The Win Is In The Effort

Success doesn't come without hard work. With an operation every seven weeks and a huge amount of physical pain, Manning said she was able to push harder by focusing on her specific end goal of full recovery.

"Even in the most unpredictable of situations where chaos reigns, I realized then that the ability to focus on your core vision is essential," Manning said.

That message can ring true in everyone's life, no matter what the situation, Manning said. It also requires questioning and re-questioning the goals as you imagine new visions of what is possible in the future.
 

NEXT: Respond To Setbacks With Passion