By Samantha McKenzie

“Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you.”    

     Walt Whitman

It’s simple. When we fall, we get back up. When we stumble, we correct our steps and try it again. When it doesn’t work out, we dig in until we get it right.

The truth is, we will fall more times than we can count. From the time we are tots, we have someone there, trying to catch us from falling. It’s normal to want to avoid pitfalls, to find the easier, the less costly route to a destination. But it’s the furthest thing from reality. We actually fall down pretty often (as adults). There’s hardly any time to brace ourselves. We spend time pretending it won’t ever happen to us, and when it does, we are ill-prepared.

The real lesson to be learned is in the number of times we must get back up. What happens after we fall? After the shock, the dismay, the embarrassment?  How do we pick up the pieces? Getting back up on our feet is a necessary part of living.

We should share our getting back up stories. Try putting aside the shame and the need for perfection and tell others what it cost you to start over or to give life another fighting chance.

I fell down and I got back up.

Got pushed down and got back up.

Got the rug swept from under my feet and I still got back up.

Got swindled and lost everything, but back up I got.

Was hard-headed and didn’t want to listen and got back up eventually.

Got skipped over for that promotion and got back up.

Missed another opportunity, and got back up.

We all fall down and we must get back up. Get back up. Get back up….