What path will you take?

There are 3 possible paths to take after we have experienced a challenging time in our lives.

Path #1- we can come out of it worse off- the negative event leads us into a further downward spiral of despair and even greater tragedy. 

Path #2— we can come away from the event unchanged- our life goes back to normal.

Path #3- we come away from the failure or setback actually better off - stronger and more capable than before. 

This 3rd path- when a crisis becomes a catalyst for positive change- is the path of Falling Up. 

We have all heard the inspirational stories of Falling Up- the employee who lost their job and followed their dreams of entrepreneurship- the accident survivor who became a Paralympian, the parent who lost a child and started a social movement against drunk driving.

Often we have heard these people say they don’t regret the tragic event because it made them who they are today. Perhaps you too have take this 3rd path out of adversity and were spurred on to make positive changes in your life.

Falling Up is different from Resilience. Resilience is a trait that prepares us to handle more adversity. When we Fall Up we actually rise above the challenge and emerge even happier and more successful than before. 

So how do we Fall Up after being knocked down? 

First and foremost, we have to find the awareness that the 3rd path event exists. When we are extremely stressed we have a difficult time believing that Falling Up is possible.   

Research shows we can find the 3rd path forward if we are able to see the opportunity in the obstacle and look at the event as catalyst for positive growth. So the ability to Fall UP after adversity has a to do with how we interpret the event. 

In other words- Life is not happens to us, it is what we make out of what happens to us.  

We are in extremely challenging times right now- but it can be comforting to know we can choose our path out of adversity. Which path out will you take? 

Can you Fall Up after being Knocked Down?