At the end of last winter, I did the unthinkable.

I fell. I slipped on ice and came crashing down on my head. I wasn’t doing anything tricky or dangerous. I was walking across a parking lot to get a cup of tea.

Within days we learned that I’d suffered a concussion. I couldn’t listen to music while driving, have a conversation when something else was going on or perform even the mildest of multi-tasking without discomfort and mental fatigue.

I learned a lot of lessons over the course of my recovery but one that stands out is this; when I fall down, when I struggle, the moment I am in does not last forever. I will get back up again.

This seems to apply to most things in life. Falling and failing are as natural as breathing yet they can send us into feelings of hopelessness as though the moment would last forever. The key is to remember that they are just moments. They are moments that lead to change and redirection.

The next time you take a misstep in life, don’t judge yourself too harshly.

Falling and failing are as natural as getting up again. Trying to convince your self of anything else is like telling a penguin not to slip on ice. 

It happens more than you think.

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Author: Melissa Tamura

Editor: Ashleigh Hitchcock

Photo: flickr, flickr