Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8

Feel like the world is closing in on you?
Had something happen that seems so huge you can’t see what to do next?
Have you lost your sense of joy and adventure?

Don’t give up and toss in the towel just yet. While it may feel as though you’ve hit rock bottom it’s not as bad as you may think. No one likes to lose control of their life, but with a little practice you can learn that’s it’s not as bad as you first thought. In fact, it is always a good thing. Sometimes the “good” just takes a little while to realize. This requires practice.

You’re in charge – Whenever something you perceive as “bad” happens it’s a sure sign that you’ve missed some signals along the way. If it feels like the world is crashing in on you don’t fret – all is not lost! What you’re experiencing is your loss of control. At first it feels like you can’t breathe and you’re a complete failure. It feels this way because it’s unfamiliar. Throughout your life you’ve been taught how to maintain control and achieve your goals. Failure is a dirty word that is typically not uttered.

In my experience when this happens it’s time to relax and take a deep breath. This situation is likely not as overwhelming as it appears. Somewhere in the difficulty you’re experiencing are some great gifts or lessons that can help you bounce back and be better than before. Afterward, you will be much more capable and aware and far better at what you do in moving forward. The reason it seems so dark and absolute is because you haven’t experienced it before and you don’t have any good reference points.

Zen saying – “Fall down seven times and get up eight” is guidance that life goes on. Life is bigger than you and it will continue whether you’re there to enjoy it or not. Rock bottom is a symptom of resistance along the way. You’ve been trying to do it all by yourself and in just the way you want. You’re striving for perfection. You aren’t allowing others to contribute and Life is trying to help you out but you’re either not seeing it or you kept saying no. This attitude can tie you into knots and suck the breath out of you.

Every time you fall down you learn something. This experience is no different. The act of creation is the flip side of the coin of failure. When you feel like throwing in the towel and calling it quits, it’s really just a sign that it’s time to take a breather and stop tying yourself in knots. Take a walk. Talk to a mentor or good friend in another industry about how you’re feeling and get their input.

These moments are great growing experiences because they help you realize your power and resilience. It’s not the end of the road. It’s just a resting station along the journey to your greatness. Relax and take the next logical step.

The Snowboarder -One of my favorite stories is about a very gifted snow boarder who had an idea for a competitive move that had never been done before. He rehearsed it in his mind for weeks until he had every move perfectly visualized. He then went to the half-pipe to begin his practice.

It did not go well.

He fell. He fell again. And again. All within the first few minutes. If you came along and saw this you would have told yourself that what he’s trying to do is impossible and he’s a “failure”. He might as well give up.

However, he didn’t get discouraged or lose his faith. He knew it was possible and he knew he could do it. He learned from every fall and continued moving forward. His vision remained intact. With each fall he learned what to do differently to ultimately succeed.

This is the importance of having a vision and seeing failure as nothing more than a step in the learning process. You’re bigger than this. You have the necessary power and commitment to learn from your situation and make the necessary adjustments. The more you embrace failure the less overwhelming it becomes and the quicker you’ll achieve your goals.

This new realization will become a part of your essence. You will be transformed from the inside. We all come to those moments in our lives where we have the choice to stay small and crawl back to who we were. Or, we can choose to learn from the experience, realize our power and use this to continue to move forward and become larger and powerful.

It’s always our choice. I’m a believer in Life and continually growing and expanding.

I heard this old song on the radio the other day. It’s got a great chorus and is all about picking yourself back up.

***
Glenn Bott is a speaker and business aikido coach. He guides organizations and individuals to look at everything that happens in their lives as a gift to help them become stronger and more capable. He applied these very techniques of lateral thinking and personal power to successfully recover from a severe traumatic brain injury. Glenn is on a mission to help other realize their awesomeness! You can learn more at glennbott.com.