Final “Get Up” Blog of the Year – Summary and Links to my entire “Get Up” Series


As a long time figure skating fan and enthusiast, and now more recently as an aspiring adult competitive figure skater myself (yep – started at age 59,) I was truly enthused about US Figure Skating’s “Get Up” campaign. The main theme is that, in all aspects of our lives, we may fall, but the more times we get up and persevere, the stronger we become. And in late October, US Figure Skating distributed this exciting video highlighting the many varied accomplishments of the “Get Up” Program since its launch a year ago. Link to the 4 minute video below.

Figure Skating is a tough sport! (link to article) It may look smooth and glamorous, but those falls on that hard ice are brutal to the body and soul. But there is a lesson here that we can apply to our personal, athletic and even business lives – that when we fall, instead of just lying there feel sorry for ourselves, we need to pick ourselves up, learn from our mistake or from the challenge we were presented, and continue toward our goal.

So I was very glad to write a monthly series focused on the theme of “Getting Up.” Here are short summaries with links to each of the series.

In January, I wrote the introductory blog Introduction to the “Get Up” theme with figure skating examples, including famous skaters and regular recreational skaters.

In February and April, I featured adult skaters who have gotten up from serious illnesses and injuries. It often takes adults much longer to recover, so these stories from adult skaters are truly inspirational. Links to : Stories of Adult Figure Skaters “Getting Up” After Illness and Injury, part 1 and part 2.

In March I wrote about getting up from career and vocational falls with four short inspiration stories of how these people “got up” to move on after falls and troubles in their vocational lives.

In May, in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, my May “Get Up” Blog was “Getting Up after Considering or Attempting Suicide.” Often greatly stigmatized, people suffering with this issue can indeed get up and move on to whole and satisfying lives.

In June, I wrote In “Getting Up from from loneliness and isolation through finding community” where I share the inspiring story of adult figure skater Amanda McGowan find a community through skating.

For July / August – – In “Getting Up from a Life of Hiding and Deception,” my friend Jim shares about “Getting Up” and changing from old patterns of secrecy and deception to living a more productive, honest, rich authentic life as a proud gay man.

In September, I dealing with: “Getting Up from Nay-sayers”, about how to deal with one of the most insidious detractors keeping us from achieving our goals – those negative people who love to tell us what we are not able to do.

My October Get Up Blog – an interview with Joanne Vassallo Jamrosz who has written a wonderful series of books about all kinds of figure skaters, famous and no-so-famous, who all have “get up” stories. Mine is even included in her latest book!

I plan on now closing this series, but if people send me ideas for 2018 I will be glad to continue writing.

Getting Up from Nay-sayers

Photo from Engility Corp

I continue my monthly blog series based on US Figure Skating’s popular “Get Up” campaign which shares the message that life, like the ice, is hard, and we can certainly fall on it. But the more times we get up and persevere, the stronger we become.

For September, I address one of the most insidious challenges we can all face in many aspects of our lives that we may need to “get up” from … Nay-sayers. These are people who tell us what we cannot do – that we are not talented enough, not smart enough, too fat, too lazy … whatever it may be, these are people who write us off for not being able to achieve our goals. These nay-sayers may include:
• Enemies and detractors who are trying to put us down
• Well meaning friends who are trying to give us advice
• Negative people who only have negative things to share about any subject
• Teachers, parents, coaches …. Various people in leadership roles in our lives
• And even sometimes our own internal voices.

But a word of warning …. We do need to discern when some of the negative advice we get is a professional opinion that we may need to heed. If we have a concussion and our physician tells us we cannot skate for three weeks, we best stay of the ice. However, in many cases we just need to “get up” and determine that with hard work, we can achieve our goals and prove the naysayers wrong.

I am reminded that Michelle Daichman, who was featured in one of my earlier blogs about getting up from injury and illness, shared that she was reminded by her Facebook Memories that 9 years ago she going in for her my third knee surgery. She wrote: My doctor made no guarantee that I’d be able to skate again. But I love that I “got up” and proved him wrong, and get to do so every day. This is my “get up story” – never underestimate!

Pat Tyrell Giorgio was determined to get up and continue skating even after a total hip replacement.

Pat Tyrrell Giorgio just wrote me that, almost four years ago, she was diagnosed with Congenital Hip Dysplasia and had Total Hip Replacement at age 60. Her Orthopedic Doctor told her that he didn’t know if she’d be able to skate again, but she sure showed him to be wrong by “getting up” and back on the ice.

A few more suggestions:
• Really think hard and consider if there is some constructive advice in the naysayers words to you that you can apply to help you succeed.
• Determine internally your own goals and the course you want to take – you can be in control of your life.
• Surround yourself with positive, encouraging people who sincerely want you to succeed and help you do so.
• And finally, be a positive influence on the people around you, and don’t be a naysayer yourself.

My previous “Get Up” blogs can be found on my skating video and blogs page.