Pick yourself up when you fall

Failure is part of life. It’s part of winning. And it’s part of success.

They say your greatest success comes right after you fall. But how do you pick yourself up when everything comes crashing down?

When starting a new business you know there is a risk of failure. In fact, you should know that failure is the most likely outcome for a new business. And that failing is necessary.

Because when you fail, you learn that you need to change something. You learn to adapt. To get better.

But it’s hard to prepare for it. You think it will come slowly and make itself known. So you can change direction fast and adjust quickly. Before everything collapses.

You think you can save yourself before you burn.

But that’s not how it works.

You can’t prepare for the feeling, the emotional roller coaster, that comes with destruction. Whatever in your life comes crashing down; your business, your personal life, your health, it will come unannounced. And hit you right in the gut. When you least expect it.

It will tear you apart. Rip your insides out. Break you.

How do you keep going, when it takes all you can do, just to breathe? How do you get up in the morning?

When everything you’ve worked so hard for, fought tooth and nail for, is ruined. How do you rebuild? How do you start anew?

To be honest, I don’t know. And I don’t think there is one single answer. If there was, everyone would know it.

All I know is that when everything is burnt down to the ground, somehow, you have to find a way to pick up the pieces.

It might take days, weeks or months. But you have to. All is not lost until you’ve given up.

The phoenix rises from the ashes. And so can you.