Getting back up…

Three Tips from a Three Year Old.

Sometimes, life just knocks you flat. You’re doing your best, staying determined, and then out of nowhere—WHAM. Maybe it’s a rude and unsolicited comment someone made at the grocery store while you were just trying to buy food for lunch. Or your 3-year-old’s perfectly-timed tantrum just as dinner burns. Or your mom’s narcissism turning every conversation into a minefield. Maybe it’s that feeling of leaving your dietitian’s office fully ready to stick with the plan… and realizing all that determination evaporated the moment real life kicked back in.

You know who is really good at getting back up when they fall? Kids!

Mikayla looking at the scratch on her first ride back on the bike. She was still feeling scared.

I think about my daughter who broke her collarbone riding her bike when she was just 3 years old. At first, riding past the place she fell scared her, reminded her of what could happen, again.

Even then: she got back on her bike.

Was she afraid? Absolutely.

But she did it anyway.

And you know what? Spoiler alert: she fell again.

Over time, something amazing happened. The more she rode her bike past that same spot—the scene of her first big fall—the less it scared her. Now, she glances at that scratch and doesn’t even hesitate. What once seemed terrifying has become just another part of the road.

Life doesn’t always go as planned. And while we can’t control the fall, we can control how we dust ourselves off and get back up again.

Here are three tips to help you rise—gracefully or otherwise—when life throws you off balance.

1. Accept That Some Things Are Out of Your Control (and Breathe Anyway)

First things first, let’s all agree: You are not in charge of everything. You had no control over that comment in line at the grocery store, the fact that your toddler is currently auditioning for the role of Screaming Extra #1, or your mom’s ability to turn every conversation into something about her. Heck, you can’t even always control your emotions in the moment (anyone else tear up watching commercials? Just me?).

Here’s the good news: You don’t have to control it all.

For example, you can’t stop your toddler from melting down, but you can model calm (even if you’re screaming internally). You can’t change someone else’s rude comment, but you can choose to buy the groceries anyway. You can’t control your mom’s behavior, but you can set boundaries and limit contact. And when the determination you had an hour ago feels like it evaporated, you can remind yourself that it’s not gone forever. Motivation isn’t something we hold onto perfectly; it comes and goes. You can still go thru the motions until it returns.

Pro tip: Notice the emotions, and remind yourself that using food, or the absence of food won’t change anything about what happened earlier in the day.

Do the next right thing, especially when you don’t feel like it.

2. Let Yourself Feel the Feels (Then Look for a Shift)

Now that we’ve acknowledged that life is chaos and your to-do list is probably being held hostage by a distracted gremlin, it’s okay to feel a little meh about it all. Frustration? Embarrassment? Anger? Those are normal responses to falling flat on your face. Don’t shove them down or force a “It’s fine, I’m fine” smile if you’re not feeling it.

Let yourself sit with the discomfort for a moment. Journal your thoughts, talk to someone who gets it, or even take some quiet time alone.

Emotions are a process, not a problem.

But—and here’s the key—once you’ve given those feelings space, start looking for a shift. That shift doesn’t have to be big; it can be as simple as noticing what else is true alongside the struggle. Maybe you learned something small from the situation. Maybe you’re handling it better than you would have six months ago. Or maybe it’s simply recognizing, “This moment is hard, but it’s not forever.”

You don’t have to laugh about it right away (or ever) or turn it into a bright-side story. Just noticing that tiny bit of progress can make standing back up a little easier.

3. Take One Tiny Step (Even if It’s Just Getting Out of Bed)

When things don’t go as planned, the hardest part is often knowing where to start again. The mountain of what-went-wrong feels massive, and even the idea of fixing it can make you want to lie down and let Netflix autoplay your problems away.

But here’s the trick: Don’t try to tackle the whole mountain at once. Just take one tiny step forward.

If you feel overwhelmed by life’s curveballs, set a micro-goal: Make the meal (even if you don’t plan to eat it). Take a few deep breaths. Step outside for a minute of fresh air. Take one bite. Call one friend. Momentum is sneaky—once you’ve taken one small step, the next one feels easier.

And if your tiny step today is just getting out of bed and putting on clean-ish clothes, that’s a win. Progress doesn’t always look impressive, but every small step counts.

The Bottom Line: You’re Still Here, and That’s What Counts

At the end of the day, life is unpredictable and messy. You can’t control every twist, fall, or snarky comment. But you can control how you respond, honor your feelings, and take those first wobbly steps toward trying again.

The scratch on the concrete is now something she has shared with her sister and both girls are so grateful she got back up and rode again.

That’s what I think about when I remember Mikayla and her bike. She (or we) could have said, “Enough. No more bikes.” But she didn’t. She healed. And then—cautiously, bravely—she got back on again.

But falling doesn’t mean failure; it means you were brave enough to try.

So when life trips you up, remember: You’re allowed to fall. You’re allowed to feel it. And you’re absolutely allowed to get back up again, dust yourself off, and keep moving forward.

Because if a 3-year-old can do it, so can you.