Give up or give it another go?
What to consider when you stumble and fall?
Photo courtesy of Bethany Legg
It is a wonder that, in life, we can get knocked down only to get up again.
It may take a while, on some days.
It may take a long while, on others.
But up we get, inevitably.
In some shape or form.
Unless, of course, we convince ourselves that it is not worth getting up again.
Somehow, in that moment, we convince ourselves that...
the rejection is too painful,
the scrutiny too uncomfortable
and
the indifference too soul numbing.
Each of us, at one time or another, has found ourselves at this crossroads.
To give up or give it another go.
Whenever I find myself at a crossroads, I often reflect on the actions of very young children.
They are often our best guide in illustrating our perfect human design.
When faced with an obstacle or a set back of any kind, a child will inevitably have another go at it; there is no thought of rejection or failure or the judgements of others.
Their world is truly that of the present moment, devoid of judgments for the past or the future.
Stumble and fall. Get up and try again.
Miss a step. Get up and try again.
Lose your balance. Get up and try again.
With young children, there is a never ending strive to move forward.
Continue on.
Carry on.
Grow. Develop. Explore.
Feed the curiosity.
Nothing is personal and nothing is taken personally.
There is no need to find meaning where meaning does not exist.
There is no need to find blame where blame does not exist.
The world is an open and welcoming opportunity.
It is a place to experiment with a lightheartedness that leaves little room for stagnation.
This is what allows a child to make the same request over and over again, regardless of the answer.
They are not deterred.
And so, dear friends, I implore you to give it another go. No doubt you will be a little wiser for the experience.
Stumbles are inevitable. It's part of the game. It's nothing personal.
And so, with that I say...