When something happens to knock you down, have you ever wished you could open a door to a whole new world?

All through our childhood, many of us yearned for the day we’d open that door to freedom- our adulthood.

As adults, have we ever wished we could reopen that door and go back to our childhood when things may have felt simpler?

It’s been said, “kids are resilient; don’t worry, they bounce back easier than adults do.” Why might that be?

As children, we may be adventurous and take risks more often without saying, “I can’t. What if I get hurt?”.

The moment kids take a tumble, tears often well up in their tiny little eyes and we may do our best to make them laugh instead.

As grown-ups, we may try to protect our children from getting hurt whenever possible, distracting them from what feels bad so they focus on what feels good, right?

We may encourage them to try what may feel uncomfortable so they learn new things.

Why might this feel harder for us to do for ourselves as we get older?

When something happens to us as adults that may be perceived as hurtful or bad, do we cry or do we laugh? Are we reluctant or ready to try what feels uncomfortable?

Instead of giving in to the tears, how might it feel if we emphasize what feels positive, like when we were kids, to help us bounce back quickly?

During our childhood, we had grown-ups to help us feel protected, cared for, and loved.

What might make it feel problematic to maintain that feeling of security and flexibility as we become in charge of ourselves as adults?

Instead of submitting to the everyday stressors that life seems to have an endless supply of, let’s access that childhood resilience again and remember how to laugh even when it feels like it hurts.

If we take a fall, a.k.a.- life happens, rather than trying to eliminate what we can’t, we can focus on how to react to these things with a more constructive perspective.

Though it may not be possible to remove tension completely, it can be conceivable to restructure how we respond to the pressure.

Imagine how much easier it could be if we choose to ‘bounce back’, laugh, and move forward. The innocence and resilience of our youth can become the strength and determination in our adult life to be more self-reliant.

“Life is ten percent what happens and ninety percent how you respond to it.” ~Lou Holtz.

The next time we “fall”, maybe re-examining our viewpoint of the situation might help us open that new door to a wonderful new way we didn’t realize was possible.

Today, on “ME” Monday^®, schedule something special for yourself to support the reliance on your own powers and resources rather than those of others.

You may discover you’ll bounce back even better than you may have been able to yesterday.