Like most of you, I have continued to follow the stories coming out of the Gulf Coast and I’ve been amazed by some of the comments of hope and optimism coming from the survivors. Time and again, I’ve heard men and women talk excitedly about making a new start. At times, I have been both awestruck and humbled.

As you know, I have been through my share of adversity in life. I just wish I could say that I always handled it so well. I’m proud to say that, in the end, I always found a way to make adversity pay off for me. Yet, I can’t say that I’ve always been able to see the “bright side” immediately. In some cases, it took me weeks to begin to see the opportunities in my calamities. And in other cases, it took years.

Yet, in just days, many of these brave people are beginning to pick up the pieces of their lives. They realize that it’s not hard you fall; it’s how high you bounce. We could all learn a similar lesson in the challenges we face in our lives; however small and insignificant by comparison.

Remember, in the race of life, there isn’t a place to park. The race is continually being run, even when you get knocked down, bruised or bloodied. Therefore, when you take a fall (and you will from time to time), you have one of two choices: (1) you can sit on the track nursing your wounds; or (2) you can get back up and resume the race.

Of course, the truth of the matter is that most people do a little of both. At first, they sit around examining their cuts and bruises. Then, they start replaying the accident in their minds, trying to figure out where they went wrong. Next, they spend a little time blaming everyone and anyone for their misfortune – fate, the stars, their family and friends, their teachers, the economy, the politicians in Washington, you name it. Finally, after all of that, they stand back up, brush themselves off, and start the race anew.

And while this process may be perfectly normal, it takes an abnormally long time. It can take months or even years to tally up the financial damage caused by a business crash. It can take even longer to go through the list of possible culprits – the stingy bank, lazy employees, fickle customers, greedy suppliers, etc. Yet, all of the time that you stand on the sidelines thinking about the past, others are opening new businesses and creating new industries.

This is particularly true in terms of a failed relationship. As these wounds often cut deepest, they often take more of a toll. We can become consumed with the pain of loss. And because the rejection is so personal, we begin to reassess our entire personalities. “What is it about me that caused this relationship to fail?”

We withdraw into what we think is a protective shell (it’s actually a cell) and don’t dare to venture out into the dating scene again. In fact, even when people re-enter the dating world, they often leave their hearts at home. They are cold, distant and skeptical in new relationships, always preparing themselves for the “inevitable” breakup. Of course, it is just this attitude that makes the break-up inevitable. Yet, all the time that they are “parked” alongside the highway of life, they are missing out on the opportunity to share the journey with Mr. or Mrs. Right.

Yet, it doesn’t have to be that way. Remember, the sooner that you get back up and resume the race, the quicker you’ll reach your goal. Therefore, if you’re going to have any kind of rebound, it might as well be a rapid one.