When You Fall, Get Back Up

My six-year-old grandson is a huge NASCAR fan, and can name most of the drivers and their numbers. As most kids his age do, he enjoys his make-believe world and lives there often. He becomes anyone he wants to be, any time he chooses. One day, he was - shall we say - in the moment, pretending to be the leader in a NASCAR race. Riding as fast as his little legs will take him, he suddenly found himself face down, kissing the sidewalk.

In his words during a telephone call to me he said, "I was riding my bike and racing Jimmie Johnson (his favorite driver). We were beating everybody else and I went really, really, really fast and I won! I beat Jimmie Johnson! It was so great! Everyone was cheering for me! So I was waiving to my fans as I drove around the track. I was waiving with both hands, thanking everybody for cheering for me. And my bike got wobbly and it fell over."

This conversation took place while he was still at the hospital. When I asked how he was feeling, he said, "It hurt at first, but I'm OK now. I need some stitches is all. The doctor said as soon as I can't feel anything, they'll sew me up." And when I asked about the bike, he informed me that it was fine; just some scratches. Thinking of the joy of winning, he said he'll be riding - and racing – again, “probably tomorrow.”

Many times, as business owners - and all adults for that matter - we have enjoyed the race and the resulting win. And how many times have we also found ourselves face down kissing the sidewalk?

At that point, many adults don't get back up and say, "I'm OK now." Instead, a lot of potential entrepreneurs and promising small business owners give up - never to win again.

This six-year-old has taught us all a few lessons. First, we can take his lead and let ourselves be in the moment, enjoying success. Too often we are so busy going after the next big thing that we don’t take time to just - for a brief moment - relish the recent victory.

A second lesson is to have a mentor. Maybe it won’t be a NASCAR driver, but we all need a mentor, someone to look up to who has achieved success and can help guide and counsel us.

The third lesson is to appreciate our fans (customers). Take the time to let them know you value their business, their contribution to your revenue stream, and their loyalty to you.

Fourth, and most important, of all the lessons this little guy offers is this: When you fall, get back up, tell yourself you're OK and get in the race again. Life is too short to sit it out. And you’ll always wonder what would have happened if you just gave it one more shot.