I've recently started a new habit of starting each day by writing down an inspirational quotation. Today's quotaion is 'That stumble just prevented a fall' (unknown author). I've been stumbling a lot lately. In fact, it feels like all I've been doing for the last few months has been stumbling. Stumbling over my thesis, my life plans, my finances. I've been stumbling non-stop. Even as I write this blog entry, I'm still stumbling.The constant stumbling creates a feeling of shame and sometimes even induces a roll to the bottom of the hill, metaphorically speaking. It's quite easy to allow ourselves to roll to the bottom of the hill, if it happens through a series of stumbles and not one massive fall.
Therefore, while thinking about my inspirational quote of the day, I realized that it has its merits, but as I said to a friend sometime last week, 'when will you pick yourself up and start climbing upwards again? After you've hit rock bottom?'
A stumble here or there is quite fine, because it prevents you from falling. However, constantly stumbling is the equivalent to a slow, less painful fall that allows us time to become comfortable with 'anti-progress' or regression.
(Aside: Since progress is spelt pro-gress, shouldn't its antonym be con-gress? :)
A sharp pain from a fall pushes us into action immediately, but stumbles don't have the same effect on our brains. Therefore, it is much more difficult to pick ourselves up and start climbing our mountains again after several consecutive stumbles. However, it is of utmost importance to do so or else, we'll wake up one morning and the realization that we've hit rock bottom will be too much for our brains to handle and we would have lost everything.
So today I declare that I've had enough stumbling! It is time to stop falling in slow motion. The peak is too far away and the bottom of the mountain is not where I want to be. So I'm climbing again and if I stumble tomorrow, I will not take comfort in it, I will get up and continue climbing because that is the only way stumbling can be useful.
Thinking about my inspirational quote of the day has thus led me to a second quote for the day, inspired by the P&G proud sponsors of moms commercial -
'Falling makes you stronger'.
As I said before, falling hurts, but it pushes you a little further along towards achieving your goals.
I remember the first time I rode my bicycle down a steep hill. My brother and cousin had ridden very fast down the hill without using brakes so I decided not to use the brakes either. The next thing I knew was that my bicycle was wobbling uncontrollably then I was at the bottom of the hill lying prostrate with both palms and knees bruised raw from skidding on the tarmac.
Unlike the children in the P&G commercial, I had no one to pick me up and make me feel better that day. My brother and cousin were long gone, my mother was at the market and my father was too busy repairing a vehicle to notice me crying and pushing my bicycle back home. So, I washed my cuts and dressed them with gentian violet (#gentianviolet).
The events of that day taught me a whole lot. I learnt just how much I have to exercise control over my bicycle while going down steep slopes; I also learnt how to pick myself up, tend to my wounds and prepare for my next challenge. Before that summer ended, I was able to ride down that hill without holding the brakes and not fall off my bicycle. I learnt life lessons that summer that I will never forget.
The P&G commercial however, shows a different side of life. It shows parents, well, specifically mothers being there to pick up and support their children when they fall. Of course, this is the job of a parent, but we often times take it for granted and many of us don't realise that every time we fall, get up and try again, we become stronger. Parents undoubtedly help some of us learn this fact, because when we are young our parents sometimes pick us up when we fall and urge us to try again. That's basically how many people learn to walk and talk.
Another interesting thought that today's reflection has brought about is that when we get older, our parents are no longer the main people in our lives that pick us up and urge us on. For many adults, the new support system includes spouses and friends. When I fall and / or stumble, I tend to tell my friends, spouse and family members, then they all try to urge me along or help to pick me up off the floor.Picture sources:
No comments:
Post a Comment