When You Get Knocked down.....

If you’re getting knocked down, grab something on the way to break your fall.

Say what?

 I’m hoping this clicks with each of you as you read it. Go ahead, read it again………

 

You always hear, that if ya get knocked down, get back up and try again. I’m kinda over that if I’m being honest. What if I don’t wanna get back up? Maybe getting knocked down happened so fast that I don’t even know how hard I’m about to hit the ground.

Or, maybe I knew I was on the brink of being knocked down, and I knew that no matter what I do my next actions matter more than how I got in the situation. The moment of “oh shit, I’m going down” must exit my mind immediately. I must quickly shift everything to breaking this fall. If I don’t break the fall, I’m finished. RIP. BUT if I can get my mind to say, “we got this”, then I know I’m fighting like hell to grasp for anything along the way down that could break my fall.

 Real life example- I was working at the firehouse last Friday. We were lucky enough to sit down at 830 to watch a movie. It was my partner and I and the other crew. (all dudes but me). I’ve worked at Aberdeen Fire Dept. since I was 21. I’m 37. I missed a couple years when I worked for the state, and a couple from when I thought I was done with that life, but overall- a long time. WELL, they got a renovation to the firehouse. The new TV room is theater style, terrible idea for a firehouse. Usually when you’re in this room you are kicked back and relaxing. Why the hell the firehouse wanna go and put an extra step in there? Trying to make it fancy like were in a movie theater. Well, the movie ended. Thankfully I was getting up on my own time, and not because we had a call. I got up and headed for the door. I missed that step they put in since I’ve been gone. BUT when I missed the step, I grabbed the recliner in front of me, hoping to save myself. Not so much, I pulled that bitch down with me. The fall was slow motion. Then my partner sits up and is like “what are you doing” oh nothing BRAD, just checking the trim on the step before I head out. I was fine, it was hysterical. But I thought on the way home, as I laughed the entire way…. Damn I’m glad that chair was there, I mighta snapped my ankle, it broke my fall for sure.

 So that happened..

And days later the thought comes to me.

 Why do we focus so hard on not falling, when there are so many lessons that can be found on the way down, and the way back up.

 Now, I don’t wanna fall to my death, I want to be able to get back up. I don’t want a serious injury or set back. So, I’m grabbing anything close and I’m holding on tight.

 My faith is high, and I know that I’m falling, but I’m trusting the things around me to help ease the impact of the situation. Or the fall.

 Thankfully, like the chair- I’m able to grab ahold of things around me to pull me through my bad days.

 If you reflect on each point of your journey, and how you got to the exact moment you’re in- are you satisfied with yourself?

 I broke the fall.

I’m at the bottom, on the floor, whatever the case.

I’m down, but I know that I WILL get back up.

 But before I do, I’m going to spend some time here. Because here is where I learn my hardest lessons. Here is where I can see everything. Here is where I know that the only option is up or staying all the way down. Staying all the way down is self-sabotage. There’s nothing left to try for. There’s no hope. There is rot, and decay and negative everything. You are drained, and you kinda wonder why you tried to break the fall. Like, shoulda let it take me out.

 SO- up it is.

But getting up is a process, and you can’t rush. If ya do, you may get lightheaded and be right back down.

 Sit in the moment, reflect on the past, let the negativity go. Now, look around, and plan. You must have a solid plan, because falling again will make things a lot more difficult. So difficult, you won’t recover.

 So, you establish your why, you create your plan for how, and you take action to start making your way back up.

 If you lack in any of these areas, you might end up right back here. If that means checking yourself at each milestone on your plan, that’s exactly what you do.

 Others can offer to help us up, and sometimes that’s fine. Before you take the offer, consider the additional risk.

 Before you take the offer, have you taken the time YOU need to make sure you are making the best choice?

 SO- we can fall, we can recover, we can make sure the steps that got us where we currently are will not be on the path we take next. When things get hard, it’s easy to follow tracks you already made, on a road you’ve already been down.

 It’s hard to find courage to make a new path.

But once you make the choice to start the new path, you’ll find that you are steadier on your feet, and stable enough to implement true change. This will only happen, when you are honest with yourself on what your wants and needs truly are.

 Yesterday I left you all with a very real post. That’s not me wanting pity, it’s not me begging you to shop with me.

 Its vulnerability. It’s me reminding you that we are all running our own shit shows.

 

None of us are alone, and you can get back up.