Inspired to Inspire - Part 2

Have you ever fallen where there were so many people? You're shoe (how did that happen?) hit a rock and before you could even understand what was going on you find yourself on the dust, in the mud, oil, large pool of water, who knows? It was too fast, too quick, nobody asked you?

I've fallen many times. And most of the times the-fall didn't hit me, until I hit the ground (Does that make sense? Let me know). What I mean is I don't know what hit me or what exactly I hit to get to the ground? I couldn't predict that I would fall there of all places! Once I was in a race back in school, right at the finish line I fell face flat on the ground. Wow, that was something. Trust me, I was exhausted, and that's the last race I ever ran, sadly. Far from that, many times I like to laugh at myself. It helps ease the tension of the fall, and just to get my head into perspective. And if by any chance, the people watching me fall are laughing at me, we end up laughing together. So I don't feel that bad at the end of the day.

Let's look at an analogy to explain my point. Back in University, we had this lecturer who coined jokes that only he understood. So while he ended up laughing at his own jokes hysterically, the whole class was left to painfully catch up with the joke. Truth is his jokes were dry! Or we just didn't get what the fuss was all about. Anyways, we ended up laughing at the fact that he was laughing at dry jokes and he joined us in the laughing. So that made it even more funny. We are laughing at his *dry* joke, he thought the joke was that funny and continued laughing.

No offense to the lecturer, sometimes the jokes I pull ain't funny, so I've also had to laugh on my own at times. The POINT I AM MAKING is it's healthy to laugh at yourself sometimes. Don't take life so seriously, so much that you can't laugh at your mistakes.

Today let's give some thought to falling in life. Where you fell. How you fell? Why you fell? Will you keep falling? Let's try to compare the falling with real life examples.

Everyone falls
Do you think you're the only one who went through that specific experience? I know it was beyond embarrassing. You couldn't even dare share it with anyone. Maybe you got cheated on, someone fleeced you of your cash, or who knows something really bad happened. You are not the first, nor will you be the last or the only one to go through that traumatizing time.

Let me suggest something crazy, share with someone what you've always said you'd never share with anyone. You'll get something off your back. It will help you realize, it wasn't that bad. In the most understood language I know, you'll realize it's kawa i.e. its the norm (Kawaida is a Swahili word that means norm, kawa is short for kawaida).

Maybe you'll end up saving a friend from going through the same experience by sharing.

Wherever you fell, it could have been worse. 
You may have fallen in the sewer, or off a building, or tripped in front of a moving bus (that's bad i know), but guess what, it could have been worse. Just ask around, you'll find out that your experience was just an orientation into the world of falling.

There's always someone who went through a worse experience. There always someone who's going through worse off than you ever will. Not that you are special in any way. Only they could go through that experience in those specific circumstances and still triumph.

So be encouraged, you're in a far better place than you could ever be.

However you fell, it's not the end of the world.
Now that we know everyone falls and you're not doing so bad. Get up from the ground dust yourself off and go on. They do say life goes on and that should be true for you too. You determine how long you stay on the ground.

Have you ever watched a playful child whatever age really, just playing the way children are and then suddenly they fall to the ground. Doesn't matter how and where they fall. If you start, being so emotional, saying all the sorries in the world; that child will surely cry. They'll turn on the ignition, step on the fuel and cry their tongues out. Why? Because you said sorry. Maybe they weren't even hurt.

But if you pretend you didn't notice, they'll stay on the ground a bit, play with the soil, stand up and dust themselves off. Then the games will continue, and they might even throw in some laughter to the fall.

Children are children that's how they act. But we should be able to learn not to let our falls last forever. Let them be a stepping stone to a much more enlightened maturity. Don't let the mud from the fall be your trademark. Let the scars you got from falling tell the story of your life. Not stories that end with "I am sorry that must have been so traumatizing" but stories that are filled with joy and "Wow, you are the epitome of true strength. I am so encouraged."

Whatever the reason of the fall, accept that you've fallen
Just because you hit a stone, or someone tripped you to the ground. Will that make you hate the stone or that person all your life? No, really. The truth is you've fallen. Forget the reason of the fall. First, acceptance is important. Accept that you fell. It doesn't make you any less of a person. You are still you. It's only you that can that can change what you perceive of yourself after the fall.

Was it that you ARE clumsy? Was it that someone distracted you? Or does that person just hate your guts that they couldn't pass the opportunity to see you fall?

None of the reasons make sense to me. They might be valid reasons but they don't hold any water. Reasons for your fall may vary and may even be valid, but the important thing is you learn from the fall.

The stupid never forgive and never forget, the naive forgive and forget. The wise forgive and never forget.

You should be on the guard. Don't fall on the exact same spot, in the exact same way again. When you see the same reasons or mistakes coming your way, take care that you don't fall. Derive lessons from the fall. You'll be surprised how many precious things you can learn. So it may not sound like much, guess what, the reason for the fall is the lessons learned and not the reason you fell in the first place (Hope that makes sense.)

Falling won't stop soon, you're not that special
Falling is frequent and you just have to be on your guard. It is of my opinion that pride is one of the major causes of falling. We think we are too good to fall, or falling happens to the likes of so and so. It's like you are of a special breed and it just doesn't happen to us special ones.

Think of it this way, as human beings we like to hear stories of so and so and how they went through something tough, maybe they lost their loved ones to cancer, or their marriage was a sham, or their children are the laughing stock of the town.

The story goes: Do you know Jane? The Pastor's daughter, she went abroad to study Medicine. Remember? Imagine she was deported back to the country because ... (fill in the details!)

Our ears are pulled to such stories. And our responses are Oh my? Poor Pastor, that's so sad? Children of these days! I just knew! And our responses never stop! We go on and on about how they should have done this and this! That's their mistake...

Pride comes before a fall

Just remember that next time you fall. You're not that special. Just when you think you are standing, just like in my personal experiences, you'll be the name in the next juicy story, and it won't be an easy experience.
Try to put yourself in other people's shoes. Don't judge. Don't ever think that they deserve it, because they don't. Everyone deserves to be loved. Everyone deserves compassion. Everyone deserves a second chance. Everyone deserves new beginnings. We can't offer that love the way God does, but we should try to.

We are all fallen creatures.

I'd like to hear your views, or personal lessons from falling in life.

1 Corinthians 10:12 Therefore let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

Read more »