We have this false narrative in our culture that we are not allowed to fail. That the come from nowhere success and the natural talent are the ways to get to the top. But the reality for 99.9% of us is that our path forward includes lots of failure. Lots of dusting off our knees and getting back up and trying again.

Have you ever done that thing going down the stairs where your heel slips off the step and then you ride your butt all the way down the stairs? It’s the worst. It hurts. But it’s also a pretty quick way to get down the stairs. You moved from point A to point B. Just a little faster and more painfully than you were expecting.

We are going to fall. We’re going to mess up, stick our foot in our mouth, hurt people we didn’t mean to hurt, sew masks with the elastic inside out, misunderstand situations in a way that seems so obvious from the other side.  That is just life happening.

But most of the time, for a split second, in the act of tripping, we can choose which way we fall. We can fall backwards and break an arm and go home and nurse our wounds. Or we can fall forwards. Perhaps get a skinned knee, but pick ourselves up and keep journeying.

In the world of recovery there is something called a relapse prevention plan. It takes into account the fact that people mess up. And it helps them plan what to do if and when they find themselves in that position. Who to talk to, where to go, how to get help.

Who is on your every day life relapse prevention plan? Who tells you hard truths? Who are the people you allow yourself to be vulnerable with, that you allow to teach you? Where do you go to recover, to think, to breathe, and to come back stronger? Give yourself permission not to be perfect. And build a support system of people who can guide you back onto your journey.