If You Fall Down, You Must Get Up

We all fall down, mess up and make a mistake every now and then.

All. Of. Us.

I was taking a walk with a close friend the other day and fell.  I’m not sure if I slid on an acorn or stick or if my shoes, which are old and worn out, just need to be replaced. It doesn’t really matter. The point is, I was walking and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground.

Don’t worry, I was fine. The only thing that took a hit was my pride. After I got up off the ground, we laughed about it. “I’m just glad you’re OK,” my friend said.

There are lessons to be learned, even on a walk.

Truth be told, it was a little embarrassing. It didn’t feel good to fall down, even though all I had to do was pick myself up and keep on walking, moving forward. One foot in front of the next, until we finished our normal walk. No damage was done. Nothing was hurt. It really didn’t matter.

But, it never feels good to fall down.

Not for me and I’m guessing not for you. Most of us don’t like it when we make a mistake, mess up or when plans don’t work out the way we imagined things would go. It’s no fun to botch up whatever it is we’re doing.

It’s important to remember that we all fall down at some point in our lives. When this happens, we have a choice. We can pick ourselves up, learn from our mistakes, and get better, or we can quit. Toss in the towel. Give up.

Don’t be too hard on yourself when you do make a mistake.

Instead, remind yourself that you’re human and it’s normal to screw up every now and then. Most of the time, our mistakes can be fixed and don’t have any long lasting implications. Instead of feeling badly about whatever has happened, give yourself some grace and learn from it. Pick yourself up and move forward. Use it as an opportunity to think about how you can do things better in the future. This is how we grow and improve.

Anyone can quit. But, it takes a strong person to make a mistake, be willing to admit it and try again. It’s important to be  resilient. I’m guessing that when life gets hard, as it will for all of us, you’re the kind of person who pushes forward and doesn’t toss in the towel. I believe in you, do you believe in yourself?

On another walk recently, I walked past the exact spot where I fell. This time, I made sure there weren’t any acorns or sticks in my path. I laughed to myself, remembering what happened and reminded myself I don’t have to be perfect. It’s OK to make mistakes. By the way, I took my little stumble as a message from the Universe that it’s time for me to get new shoes. Hey, what can I say? I’ll never pass up an opportunity to shop.

Find meaning each day,

Dara