Falling Down

Do you find yourself frustrated when you keep trying something over and over again only to feel like you’re getting nowhere?  I must confess, I’ve felt that way often.  But I had an epiphany one day in yoga class that gave me a whole new perspective.  I suddenly realized the one thing that was consistently missing in my many attempts.  This week’s video post is about that one thing, which has proven to be valuable not only on my yoga mat, but in the rest of my life as well.

When you’re done watching the video, scroll down for more resources on “falling over”.

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Here’s what I said in the video:

I’ve been working on trying to do a handstand for a really long time.  And it took me a long time before I would even try. I would see people doing it and think “Wow that’s really cool, but I can’t imagine I would ever be able to do that”.  And then gradually, I thought, “You  know what?  I want to do this.  I’m going to try this.”

So, I started off by kicking one foot up and just didn’t get far enough.  Kicked another foot up and just wasn’t getting anywhere.  And I thought “How do people do this?”

The yoga instructor pulled me aside one day and said, “You know Diane, if you really want to get up there, you have to be not afraid of falling over.” And I thought “Falling over!  I don’t want to fall over.” So I took that home and I thought about it and I kept watching people. 

And I thought “You know what, so what if I fall over – I know how to fall into a backbend.  I’m going to try it, what the heck!”.

So the next time, I kicked up further and higher than I’ve ever kicked up, and guess what – I fell over. Splat, right on my back. Just then, the man sitting next to me on his mat said, “Wow, you’re a risk taker.” And I replied [after thinking about it for a minute]   “… yeah, I am.”     

Real success is achieved when falling down simply becomes part of the process.

For more on “falling over”:

The Pinocchio Principle: Becoming the Leader You Were Born to Be

Let it Rip – Pushing Past Polished (published 8/1/11 on the Women Speakers Association blog)

Bouncing Back: Perseverance Personified

The Fallacy of Failure

Strive image by Robert Balazik from Dreamstime.