“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!” -Frederick Maryat
Walking is a very important skill to master. But it is a tedious process!
Children generally begin with rolling over, advancing to a crawl, graduating to pulling up and balancing, and finally the first tentative steps. Falling and injury likely to occur.
Parents around the world encourage children to take steps knowing for certain there will be failure, pain, injury, frustration, tears, and finally success!
I have never heard a parent say after a child falls, “Stop trying.” “It isn’t worth it!” “You are a failure because you keep falling!”
I have heard parents coax, clap, cheer, laugh, hug, pick up and encourage to keep trying because the result of walking will be worth the effort and frustration.
In life all of us metaphorically fall. After all the journey of life is full of obstacles and challenges. It wasn’t meant to be easy and positive growth does not come from staying down once we fall but getting up and pressing forward after we do.
Sometimes it is important to stay down so injuries can be evaluated, the cause of the fall examined, and time for healing employed. Valuable things may happen when you get knocked down and if you get up too soon you might lose the lesson. But don’t let falling down keep you down! Make the decision to get up and try, try, again.
Remember fear loves to tag along with try but try anyway!
New goals and dreams often accompany a new year. The suggestions and ideas for living a successful life can be overwhelming! Narrow down a few selective ideas that work for you and stay consistent.
Set yourself up for success! I believe the best measure for successful living is you! You make all the difference in your own life.
I definitely don’t have answers for anyone else’s life, but I do have a few suggestions:
1. Dream, plan, try!
2. Live an intentional life. Live life on purpose with a purpose.
3. Set goals. Small, manageable, measurable, realistic goals. Daily goals. Do not bite off more than you can chew.
4. Make the decision to follow through. Even if you follow through poorly don’t judge! Celebrate any success.
5. Try again. Failure may be part of the process but does not need to be the end result.
Use a journal or notebook to write down your goals and track them. One of my favorite notebooks is from a company called Compendium.
Watch inspiring movies or read inspiring books. Resiliency can be contagious!
There are so many books and movies that inspire me but here are just a few ideas.
Books:
1. Man’s Search for Meaning written by Viktor Frankl
2. The Hiding Place written by Corrie Ten Boom
3. Getting Grit written by Caroline Adams Miller
4. Oh, The Places You’ll Go written by Dr. Seuss (simple but incredibly insightful)
5. The Problem of Pain written by C.S. Lewis
Movies:
1. Lincoln
2. Second Hand Lions
3. The Man Who Invented Christmas
4. Cinderella (Disney’s most recent version)
5. Finding Mr. Banks
Use technology wisely to find things that inspire you then log off and log into pursuing your dreams and accomplishing your goals. Failure and fear are part of trying and can be important in the process of whatever success you are shooting for. Don’t let them shut you down but use them as a catalyst for continuing! Remember it isn’t about where you were yesterday it is about where you are today.
Whatever comes your way make the decision to press on and remember the power of forward!
(Thanks to photographers featured on unsplash.com for the pictures).