Fall like you’re three!

Posted on 07. Jan, 2011 by Susan Wright in Life Coaching

I have boys so I know all about rough and tumble play, plus the art of getting up after a fall with a smile on the face and ready for more action! Oh to be three, there is no such thing as loathing about in failure and when they do, it’s really just a moment to try again, have a little temper tantrum, and move on.  On New Year’s Eve, we ordered in Chinese food and those little fortune cookies really do crack a message worth reading. So the message I opened: “Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” Well did that ever hit home as notably seen in those under the age of three!

Young children don’t have a concept of failure, they literally don’t know what it is. Those of us chronologically advanced often see it, note it, avoid it, and find ourselves in a less than enthused state of mind if it happens often. We hear and read about successful people often, and yet we don’t always hear just how many times they failed, but I imagine there’s a certain resilience and passion that drives them forward. Ultimately, one really ought to love what they’re doing and taking action or otherwise, derive a deep level of meaning and satisfaction from their efforts.

What would happen if we simply got up, swiped the dirt off, and tried again with a true sense of adventure and fun? I would imagine a new opportunity might show up, a new perspective, another door yet to be opened. In the mind and heart of a three year old, that’s not difficult, usually there’s one more thing to discover and learn. I’d say the hard part is continually sustaining that sense of enthusiasm. So how does one do it?

• Continually build up your reserves – my maintaining good health
• Gain a sense of your purpose, know your mission – remember this
• Seek action in alignment with vision
• Have supports and collaborators
• Be tough and compassionate
• Don’t judge your actions or results as failure, but rather as discovery, progress, and learning.
• Learn to not take yourself so seriously
• Note the choices that you may have made and under-prepared for, and go forward with new knowledge.
• Remember to be young at heart and a little rough and tumble play is part of the process.

Several points to ponder; however, in true life-coaching style, you are the one to answer some questions; a scripted guide will never really get us through life. A rough drawing maybe. So here’s my thought, fall like you’re three and don’t let your adult conscious get in the way of a good time! Life and business isn’t clean, safe, and predictable; often it’s messy, risky, and changeable.

Get up and play big in 2011.

Susan

Tags: Attitude, life & business, move forward, perspective