Overcome Adversity – How to Get Back Up When You Fall Down

Painful events are a part of life. How many of you have ‘fallen down,‘ having to overcome adversity in your life? Some simple examples may be:

1. losing your job;
2. getting sick, with either a physical ailment or mental illness;
3. being sexually, mentally, and/or physically abused;
4. becoming addicted to drugs, alcohol, or sex;
5. losing your home or business;
6. being accused of a crime, or imprisoned;
7. having to go through bankruptcy;
8. having to endure being socially outcast; or
9. 9.    you injured yourself accidentally—you ‘fell on your butt.’  

Countless other things have caused people pain throughout their lives. Whenever you experience suffering and are beaten down by life, how do you get back up? Careful analysis of the details of an actual fall can provide insight into how to rise up from the ground once you fall down.
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Surprise!
The first thing that occurs when a person falls down is that they go into shock. Usually when you fall, it comes from out of nowhere. You are walking along and BAMM—down you go! It happens so quickly you may wonder, ‘How did I even get to this place?’ Furthermore, many times, you may even ignore there is a problem—you are in denial. Before you can move forward, you must first absorb the shock that you are down on the ground. You must evaluate your situation so that you may make adjustments going forward.

Pain Realized
A slip and fall situation usually causes some kind of pain, which is not always immediately felt at the time of trauma. There could be a delayed reaction, albeit possibly very short. You are hurt. In addition, you may be embarrassed by your perceived blunder. However, recognize that you are not alone, as you are not the first (or the last) person to be in your current situation. All of us ‘fall down’ sometime in our lives.

Choice
It may be easier to stay down. After all, you may have been down so long that you are comfortable ‘in the gutter.’ Therefore, you may simply want to wallow in self-pity. Nevertheless, this is not beneficial. Moreover, you simply may be afraid to move for fear of additional pain. However, before you can begin to rise up, you have to decide a change is needed.

Anger
You have decided to try to get back up. However, it hurts like heck. You immediately begin to get angry. You want to blame someone for your pain. It could be you blame others, but more often, you just blame yourself for your supposed stupidity. However, acknowledge that holding destructive emotions will not solve your problem or heal your pain. In fact, they will simply delay your progress. Therefore, it is beneficial to dissolve anger, shame and guilt.

Move
You have crossed over into an important phase—you actually move. However, depending on the severity of your injuries, you may not be focused enough to actually get up. Your pain may be great, blurring your senses. Therefore, you may not be teetering on the edge of another setback. Before you take any action to move, remain focused on your effort. Furthermore, take your time to steady yourself for the change.

Help!
In the end, you may need the assistance of others. However, now is not the time to exert your independence! Willingly accept the gifts and kindness of others, allowing them the opportunity to be generous.

It is not easy to overcome adversity. When you fall down, it is not always apparent that something constructive may have actually occurred. Sometimes, it is revealed to you later. Indeed, you may never understand in this lifetime why you endured such trauma. However, if you reflect on any fall you have had in your life, recognize the possible benefit that you may have reaped from that event. After all, did you learn something, no matter how insignificant it may appear to you? Yes, the spirit of God is working as the Great Teacher within you—He is refining you to reach a higher spiritual level.