Day #53: Ability to stand up after every fall (100 Day Gratitude Challenge)

Day #53:     Ability to stand up after every fall
(100 Day Gratitude Challenge)

Have you seen a baby learn to walk? The baby makes countless attempts to stand before actually standing isn’t it? The baby first learns to roll over and after many weeks becomes good at it. Then she would attempt to sit up and will fall in the attempt a thousand times before actually being able to sit up.

Finally, the baby will hold on to something and pull herself up to be able to stand on her feet. She will wobble back and forth and plonk down and then promptly try once again. This attempt again will be repeated a hundred times before she finally learns to stand. Only after this does she keep one foot in front of the other and take the first few tentative steps. The art of walking cannot be mastered in just one stroke. We all know it.

But when we become adults we suddenly start believing that whatever I take up I must do well and I shall do it well the very first attempt. When did this shift happen? Did we have beginners luck a few times and then taught ourself that whatever I do I will do well the very first time. Or, is it some elder or peer who laughed when you failed at something and that got you to promise yourself that you will never ever try something new unless you can excel in it?

Success is never a straight line up. It is shabby with a lot of twists and turns representing the many failed attempts and our perseverance that sees us through all the temporary failures to finally seize the moment with a triumphant success.

Have you seen the movie series – Rocky? The core story revolves around the hero, a small guy who gets beaten black and blue but always stands up and wins in the end. Most success stories are made up of people who overcame circumstances after many failures to finally stand tall in victory.
If we are not ready to fail, we cannot succeed. If we are not ready to get up after a fall, we will have to be sitting on our backside forever. If we are not willing to endure the shame of failures, we cannot handle the euphoria of success. Be ready to fail a thousand times, because success is just around the corner waiting for you with faith and patience.

I’m grateful for my ability to stand up after every fall. This is the core of my life.

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