Falling is Not Failing

No one wants to fall. When we feel off balance in reality or in life
metaphorically we reach out to grab onto things. We make instantaneous
decisions to avoid landing on our rears and risking pain.
Imagine yourself in your office or den, climbing a small step-ladder
to reach a book on the top shelf. Even on the top step, the book is just out
of reach. You lean a little too far and start to fall. Frantically,
as you lose your footing, you grab onto the bookshelf to
stop yourself. In this split second, reactionary decision, you do not have
time to make sure the shelf is stable itself. You just reach for it. Then as
you fall to the floor, the shelf comes toppling down on top of you. Now, in
addition to added bruises and scrapes, you have an entire bookshelf to
reorganize. Well, which was worse: the original fall, or the subsequent
complication of the bookshelf crashing onto you?

We all fall sometimes, and it often hurts when we do, but instead of
starting a chain of reactionary events, we can shape our future in a
positive way by allowing ourselves to land. Yes, land. From the
ground we can step back and take a look at the situation. We can give it
some thought and planning, and learn from the experience. When we go after
that book again, or whatever we reach for, perhaps we can create a more
stable foundation before we reach out so far next time.

By learning from our mistakes and making proactive choices in our future, we
can greatly affect the success rate we create in our lives. Falling isn't
failing. It is our chance to build a better
ladder to our goals