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I’ve decided to add a little inspiration to my blogging and have committed to Capturing my 365 with a photo every day along with whatever words come along with that photo. Today’s photo prompt is With Words.

I retweeted this quote last night from @KimGarst on Twitter. “It doesn’t matter if you get knocked down 7 times as long as you stand up 8 times.” This quote really said a lot to me and about my overarching goal for maintaining this type of outlook on life.

I was curios about it’s origin and found some great information on Wikipedia that pertained specifically to what I learned is another one of those great Japanese Proverbs.

七転び八起き

  • Nanakorobi yaoki

  • Literally: fall seven times and stand up eight

  • Meaning: When life knocks you down, stand back up / Keep trying.

This means a lot to me. I hope that I live by this and more importantly, that I really do instill this in my children. It’s kind of the same, “Fall off Horse, Get Back On” philosophy that has pulled me out of a lot of dark and low places in my life.

The picture itself is symbolic and meaningful in a couple of ways. First, its a picture of the hardwood floor in my bedroom. It’s strong and tough but it shows wear from years and years of life in this old house. This house was my “getting back up” after the hard fall of losing everything including the kitchen sink in a house fire. That was one of the hardest things to get back up from as an adult, mother. It was the first in a year-long chain of unlucky events that tried every part of who I am and what I stand for.

But, I came out on top. In my personal life, my career, my family, I’m a stronger and better person than I was back then. I’m taking my business and my work to new levels and meeting and networking with amazing people. My family is whole, happy and stronger than ever before, like this hardwood, tough, scarred but still keeping on keeping on.