Bouncing Back Even Higher

Resiliency, is generally defined as the ability to overcome challenges of all types.  Trauma, personal tragedy and plain ole life's problems.  And trust me, when you are determined to "Blow Up" in 2013 you will face set-backs.  But you have to learn how to fail forward and bounce back up.  Get up, dust yourself off, take a look at what just happened and learn from it.  Get back in the ring, back on course and full steam ahead. 

When I was a kid, my parents bought my brothers and I a few of the Popeye blow up punching type bags that stood about 4' high.  They were weighted on the bottom, so when you hit, kicked or even tackled that Popeye thing it would simply pop right back up and there stood Popeye with that smile on his face and pipe in his mouth.....That dang thing taught me so many life lessons.  I would knock that Popeye down and lay on it, but I could not outlast old Popeye.  Once I got up, he would pop back up with that smile on his face and that pipe in his mouth.  Popeye taught me, no matter what type of abuse this life may hand out, no matter how many times you may fall down or fail.  It doesn't matter, bounce back up, keep smiling and get back on track. 

I play alot of sports, all kind of sports.  And I find it fascinating that there is a difference between a tennis ball and all other types of balls.  Footballs, basketballs, volleyballs, soccer balls - they are all filled with air.  Able to be pumped up.  BUT a tennis ball, is a hollow core - pressurized and filled with gas.  This is what causes a tennis ball to "bounce back" after being crushed, hit or slammed.  And like in life, we are hard pressed on every side but not crushed.  Struck down but not destroyed and like that tennis ball when we are crushed, hit and slammed by the trauma's of life, we "bounce back" 

So don't look at the obstacles you face, the challenges that lay before you or the scrapes on your knees from falling down.  Fail forward my friends, learn that lesson and use it to bounce back even higher.  Always remember, your set back is only a set-up for even greater success.  Expect the Great.