Life Lesson: Learn to Rise Each Time We Fall

Falling is not failure. Falling is simply part of the learning journey to scaling new heights.

Many of us are afraid of falling. Falling happens when we move from a higher to a lower level. It is usually accompanied with the feeling of having lost balance or control. Many of us perceive falling as a disease, a sign of vulnerability. Including myself.

Well, I am anticipating that I would be falling a lot in a couple of weeks. You see, I am booked on another year-end skiing trip. If you had been following my blog in previous years, you would know that downhill skiing is not my biggest strength. In fact, I have a lot of fears surrounding it.

Skiing enthusiasts tell me that it is the adrenalin rush that keeps them going back for more. They proclaim that it’s exciting to bounce off powder snow or when they make their carving turns. These friends are from tropical Singapore, where I come from. They certainly enjoy their overseas skiing trips.

My husband is one such enthusiast. He has been assuring me that once I get the hang of it, I will love the sport. While I have progressed much, I can’t say that I am there yet. Admittedly, I was filled with some level of trepidation while making travel bookings for later this year.

It sounds torturous. A vacation is meant to be fun, interesting and relaxing but the skiing part of the journey has been more like work and effort to me. And so, what is prompting me to say “yes” to sporting holidays?

Falling and Its Aspects of Fear

From the start, I just could not get the stance right.  I had been into water-skiing when I was young and what had held me back was the need to rewire brain neurons from a (backward) water-skiing to a (forward) snow-skiing posture. I must have fallen at least 100 times before getting up again and again to continue on my runs down the slope.

Mostly, I was caught up in my fear of falling. Falling has various fear aspects if I am to break it down. Each trip would surface the same set of fears…

Fear of heights
Fear of falling
Fear of dying
Fear of being abandoned in the snow
Fear of injury
Fear of not being able to get up once I fall.

With that many fear stories running in my head, my progress in skiing has been slow.

Then one day, what dawned on me was that I had risen each time I fell. It might have been clumsy or awkward and there were times when I received a lot of help, but I got up anyway.

The Greatest Glory is Rising Every Time We Fall

While I can avoid all the torture by refusing to ski, I choose not to do so.
I have realized that there is a bigger lesson behind all these trials and the bigger lesson is this: the greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.

Indeed, falling is part of life. We need to embrace falling. It’s like when we first learned to walk as toddlers. Yet, we simply accepted that falling was part of the learning journey.

Somehow, over the years, we developed fears. In certain cases, we would hold ourselves back from even trying because we fear that we may fall. Have you? I know I had.

As Helen Keller once said, life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. Thus, if we adopt a spirit of adventure, we say yes to exploring new areas despite our fears. We do not give fear as an excuse. We simply move forward.

Preparation Makes Perfect

There is not much I can do for trial practices before reaching a mountain top. However, there is a lot I can do in terms of preparation.

For instance, I have intensified my exercise program. Specifically, I am focusing on doing squats and getting up and down. Also, I am strengthening joint health with supplements.

What truly helps has been a shift in my attention. I discovered that when my focus is on ensuring that I can pick myself up, my fears become less of a concern. I find ways that would help me to rise each time I fall.

This says much about life, isn’t it?

It is NOT about never falling in life. In fact, meeting with setbacks or failures is inevitable. However, it is our response that matters.

Preparation helps. When we equip ourselves with tools to restore our balance by dealing with our fears at the same time, we become invincible. Nothing can stop us now!

Love and abundance always,

Your Comments or Thoughts Please

How’s your experience with falling like? Any insights from your experiences?

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