Well, it was bound to happen, and it did. I fell down some steps as I was going off the stage to write something on the whiteboard. It happened so quickly, and I went down hard and hit my head against the wall and my backside on the steps, and my shoulder took the brunt of the fall.
Probably one of the worst things that can happen to a speaker, in the middle of a 2-hour session, is to fall down. Luckily, I was able to regain my composure, and I quickly stood and said, “And now I will take questions from the floor….” I heard the audience laugh, and I felt them breathe a sigh of relief. I, too, was breathing a sigh, and quickly had to force a smile. Unfortunately, this is the second time I’ve fallen in 20+ years, but oh, the smell of the carpet never leaves one’s imagination. I was speaking in Florida a few years ago, and in the middle of my presentation, a terrible storm outside caused a ceiling tile to fall down next to me on the stage. It’s not a great feeling to think I might be picked up and carried off by the Kansas Toto. But once again, things happened, and once again, I had to keep going.
I don’t tell you things to brag or bore, but simply to express that no matter how hard you try, how hard you work, how hard you plan, how hard you prepare, things will happen that you didn’t work for, plan for, or prepare for. You have less than a minute to make a comeback, to make a statement, to stand back up, and to carry on.
In that moment, what will you do? I see many people work hard, and unfortunately, fate doesn’t smile on them, and down they go. Sometimes, they take others with them – sometimes, they fall alone, bringing their hopes and dreams down deep into the carpet, and every once in a while, some will, due to anger, frustration, or shame, drag the goodwill of others down with them.
Think – what will you do?
Ben Franklin said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
Fred Couples said, “When you’re prepared, you’re more confident. When you have a strategy, you’re more comfortable.”
So, when thinking about rebounding, I wanted to share with you three simple rules to help you get back up, get going, and move forward.
1st – It happened – You cannot go back and change it, so move past it.
I love the quote – don’t look back, you’re not going that way… Friends, move forward with the recognition that it didn’t work this time, but that doesn’t define you. It just didn’t work out this time. If you’re like me, you’ve made plans for many areas of your life. Now, make a plan to give yourself warnings of what might happen if it doesn’t go your way (in my case, don’t wear new shoes or at least scuff the bottoms to give traction).
There is nothing more dangerous than allowing your pride to keep you from doing something just because you faltered once at it – that doesn’t mean it will happen again. And if it does, so what… what’s really at work here is pride – your pride, and once you get past that, you can do almost anything.
2nd – Think about a 2nd way. I had history on my side – I have fallen before, and I have seen others fall, and I know the gut reaction of myself and the audience who live vicariously through our falls to know that you must quickly get back up – steady yourself – gain your composure and acknowledge what just happened so your audience can breathe. If I had just gotten up without saying something clever, they would have thought I was a nut. No one falls down without some reaction. Be real, your audience will find a measure of sympathy for you if you acknowledge what just happened.
After I fall, I am quick to tell a story about seeing my photo on the city channel at my chiropractor’s office. Then I alluded to the fact that I’m sure I’ll be going back to my chiropractor now… to which my audience laughed – because goodness knows when you fall down steps, your neck, back, and head are now out of joint.
When I say think about a 2nd way – you do this in your personal life – you start down a path, and if it doesn’t suit you, make adjustments. Or at least you change your course of direction. You don’t just continue to fail – that’s not an option. So, as you would do this in your personal life, consider how you can put into place a few ramps to either safely take you off course or to slow you down so you don’t wreck.
Speaking of ramps and wrecking – I was traveling to Tennessee to speak at a conference, and I was amazed and intrigued by all the ramps off to the side of the winding highway through the mountain pass, designed to protect drivers if their brakes failed. Better to go up an incline than over the guardrail.
3rd – You’ve set your direction, now follow through. Even though it is hard (and you may be hurting), if possible, keep going and follow through. Why? Because you committed to it, and you are not the type of person who doesn’t follow through, you have more strength, stamina, and stick-to-it-iveness than that. Because friends, the hardest thing you will do is to keep working on your dreams and goals while in pain. But what choice do you have since you’re not a quitter?
Please don’t misunderstand me; I don’t hope for failure in any way. My hope is that you find your footing to stand and stand tall against all odds.
As your coach, the survival tip is simple – to be safe and secure to the best of your ability, you might need to pack a lamp, a lifeboat, or a ladder that will carry you to safety. You just have to remember to pack it, and that takes advanced planning.
And then, when it all comes at you, you can say…you had a plan for What You Will Do.
