How to Get Back Up When You’ve Been Down for the Count

Have you ever felt like life has knocked you down for the count? Ever feel the pain of bankruptcy? Do you know the hurt of getting fired or failing in business? Have you ever felt the pain of a child walk out of your life never to return? Are you unable to get ahead in life?

As a Baby Boomer you know the drill. You’ve climbed into the ring of life and slugged it out. BAM! Down you go. You’ve learned to shake it off and get back up. Things are fine for a while but then BANG you find yourself knocked down again. You stagger to your feet. And so it goes. There comes a time, after repeated pummeling by life, where you want to remain on the canvas and not get up. What’s the use?

Have you heard why circus elephants walk around with an untethered shackle on one leg? Why isn’t the other end of it attached to a pole in the ground? Here’s the sad answer. The elephant, in younger years, strained against the tether. But again and again it failed to become free. Finally the elephant gives up. He stops trying because life taught the devastating lesson: you will never win so quit trying.

Do you resonate with the elephant? Has life kicked you in the teeth so many times you stopped trying to get back up? It’s time for you to get back up and give it another shot.

Here’s how to get back up when you’ve been knocked down for the count.

1. Realize you are not alone.
   You are not the only person on the planet who has suffered in life. People all around you have been hit by the punches of life so often they walk around in a daze. The walking zombies of life are everywhere. You are not unique in your pain and disappointment in life. It’s time for you to cancel the pity party. What you are experiencing is life itself.
2. Remind yourself the only permanent failure is the failure to try.
   The only failure which lasts forever is the failure to try. If you have completely given up there is little hope for you. Like the untethered elephant you will continue to meander through life unable to fulfill your dreams. You will coast into the grave wondering why life picked on you. It is critical for you to not give up hope.
3. Sniff the smelling salts.
   The dazed boxer is stretched out on the canvas. The gong signals the end of the round. The trainer leaps out of the corner and drags his fighter onto the stool. With the speed of a barista delivering coffee to a customer the trainer breaks open a capsule of smelling salts. You need to inhale deeply and get the smelling salts into your lungs. What smelling salts? The smelling salts which remind you there are less rounds ahead of you than behind you. If you are going to make a move, if you are going to succeed, NOW is the time. Stand up. Try again. It’s not too late. Life isn’t over. There is nothing on the other end of the tether which can keep you down.

If you are not buying this I have a suggestion. Watch Rocky. No, I’m not kidding. Imagine it is your life story. Put yourself in the gloves of Rocky Balboa. Buy the “The Eye of the Tiger,” the song playing in the movie when Rocky runs up the steps, and play it every morning. If you keep on trying you will discover life can be conquered.

DING. DING. The next round of your life is waiting to begin.

If you want to talk about your life let me know. I want to encourage you. At some point I want to offer a coaching program to get Baby Boomers off the canvas. Until then feel free to give me a call. If no one else cares please be assured I care. 734-693-7090. See. I wasn’t kidding.