Fall down seven times, get up eight.

When I worked at Toyota, I really latched onto this Japanese proverb.

And I’m not alone. A quick Google search will show you many people who have gotten this phrase tattooed on their body.

It’s such a simple but powerful phrase.I was reminded of this recently as I watched my son skateboarding. We go to a local skateboard park almost every weekend and it’s a great time to sit back and reflect on life as I watch my son zoom past other kids.

My son and the other kids are trying to do many things at once: go fast… stay balanced… and most of all… not fall down.

We’re all trying to juggle these three desires in our personal and professional lives.

And there are days when one or more of these just won’t work simultaneously. We can’t stay as balanced as we’d like, so we need to slow down and take inventory.

Or, we don’t slow down - and fall.

But that simple Japanese proverb can remind you that everyone falls down - and all we need to do is get up one more time than we stumble.

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