When Things Fall Apart

Adrian S. Potter
3 min readOct 11, 2021

Put them back together.

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

The Secondhand Inspiration Project begins with a motivational quote and ventures wherever the creative path meanders.

“Take a deep breath, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again.” — Frank Sinatra

You are not Humpty Dumpty. No committee of King’s steeds or servants will reassemble you. And those guys have a crappy track record for repairing things, anyways.

If life knocks you on your rear and tears you apart, nobody else will collect the shreds and tape them together. That’s the main bullet point I’m shooting at you.

Responsibility is key. The world will always hold you accountable, even if you try to duck your comeuppance. No matter what curveballs life pitches, excuses won’t help you get a hit.

Things never remain static. Life can appear peaceful one moment, then tumultuous the next. If current circumstances seem taxing, the pendulum will swing the opposite way in due time. As the Greek philosopher, Heraclitus noted, “Change is the only constant.”

Success is a lifelong exercise in training your mind to keep up with the pace of change. So instead of manufacturing excuses, let’s build resilience.

Things rarely go as planned. You already know this. You must work your backside off to achieve what you desire. If the roads leading to your ambitions were well-paved, everybody would travel them.

There is a faint line between exceptional and mediocre. Many people approach that border, but then they often retreat. Crossing over to greatness takes a level of courage that average folks cannot muster.

Strength is rarely in question when things are going swimmingly. Strength goes on display when life sucker punches you and kicks you as you’re wincing on the ground.

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

You may feel a spark from this pep talk. If you do, savor it. But also know this fire will ultimately fizzle.

Digesting motivational words is like eating junk food — a short-term sugar rush eventually becomes empty calories. By the time you…

Adrian S. Potter

Antisocial Extrovert · Writer and Poet, Engineer, Consultant, Public Speaker · Writing about self-improvement, gratitude, and creativity · www.adrianspotter.com