You’ve Risen Before, and You’ll Rise Again

“I didn’t teach her to fail, but I taught her to get back up every time.”

I heard this quote in a series I love, and it stuck with me. In the storyline, a young woman had lost her career and returned to her hometown to regroup mentally. When someone in the town tried to put her down about her failing career, her mother said this in her defense.

I sat there watching this mother defend her daughter and wondered, what does failure really say about us? Does it truly have the power to define us or do we give it that power?

When I reflect on my own life, there have been many moments (probably more than I’d care to admit) where I was scared to fail. Not because of the failure itself, but because of the shame and embarrassment I imagined would follow. I was terrified of being labeled—or worse, labeling myself—as a failure.

If I failed, would I be able to pick myself up again? Would I rise, dust myself off, and keep moving? Or would I sit in misery, plagued by the belief that failure defined me? Sometimes, that’s the hardest question to answer: What does this failure say about me?

Now, I know that some of you might not relate to this fear. And if you’re one of those people, I’m genuinely happy for you. But if you’ve had moments like me, moments when failure felt like the scariest possibility, let me ask you this: When you think of failing, what’s your biggest fear? Is it the fear of imperfection? The fear of being labeled? Or the fear that you might not have the strength to get back up again? And if I may be so bold to assume, aren’t all those fears rooted in how you see yourself when you fail? If the worst-case scenario comes to pass, do you believe that you have what it takes to rise again?

Here’s what I’ve learned over time (and am still learning): failure doesn’t define us. What we do afterward does. “I didn’t teach her to fail, but I taught her to get back up every time.” I’ll keep repeating that phrase until it sinks in—for me and for you. I wasn’t taught how to fail, and I doubt you were either. And that’s okay. Maybe we weren’t shown the ropes of navigating failure, but we’ve been taught something just as valuable ... how to survive.

In Kenya, we often joke that we’re taught to survive—not by choice, but by necessity. And isn’t that what life is all about? Sometimes, we keep going even when we don’t feel like we have the strength. This isn’t about glorifying struggle; it’s about recognizing the resilience within us. Take a moment to see yourself. Think about all you’ve overcome to get to this point. You may not be where you want to be, but look at how far you’ve come. Look at the strength you’ve drawn from within yourself, time and time again. What is failure in the face of that? What challenges do you feel you can’t rise above, knowing the power that lies within you? Have you forgotten who you are?

Let me be honest: you don’t have to fail gracefully. You don’t. You can cry, feel the hurt, and even break down. But at the end of it all, after allowing yourself to feel and process it, you do have to get back up. And sometimes, getting back up means leaning on the people around you. Sometimes, it means realizing you’re not as alone as you might think; that you have people ready to stand with you and hold your hand through it all.

So let me ask: If you believed that failure could never define you, because you see and trust in the strength within, what would stand in your way?

Take a moment today to remind yourself of who you are. Write it in a journal. Say it out loud. Put it in the comments section ... whatever works for you. Look back at everything you’ve overcome.

And the next time fear whispers that failure will break you, remind yourself:

You’ve risen before, and you will rise again.

Feel free to like and comment down below. Check out some of the other posts as well. In case you know someone who might need a gentle reminder that they will rise again, feel free to share the post. Until next time, remember to stay intentional!