Parkour is a training discipline with the aim to get from one point to another in a complex environment, without any assistive equipment and in the fastest and most efficient way possible. We’ve all seen the incredible videos of people making breath-taking leaps from one skyscraper roof to another or scrambling up a wall like an ant. And likewise, I am sure we’ve all seen the people who CLAIM to be doing parkour when in fact they are just idiots being irresponsible. Michael Scott certainly doesn’t grasp the whole concept very well in the TV show The Office, but then again…he doesn’t grasp a lot of things very well. (That’s what she said.) 
Nonetheless, there are some very talented brave people who can do amazing things and do them safely; only after spending a lot of time practicing the skill. One day I was discussing parkour with an co-worker and he mentioned that what makes parkour enthusiasts successful is knowing how to fall. More specifically, knowing how to have a ‘controlled landing’ after a fall. This got me to thinking about how these people could jump from fifteen foot high rooftops etc, like it was a gymnastics move.
They tumble, jump and twirl and then when they hit the ground, they practice doing 2 things: 1.) disperse the impact as widely as possible and 2.) Continue the momentum with a tumble etc. If a person jumps from even a much smaller height but does not do these two things, they usually end with SPLAT and OWWW – followed by a trip to the ER.
How do you fall? Do you try to take the full blow of the impact yourself? Much like the rules for parkour, you should try to disperse the impact. Don’t internalize the experience. Rather, get support from your friends and family. If you try to manage the whole thing yourself, it can be overwhelming and cause damage instead of resolving the situation. For some people, this is easier or harder than others. Some of us are wired to be self-sufficient and feel it’s a bother to go to others for support…or even worse, consider it embarrassing. In life we also fall…and fall a lot. First of all, don’t mistake FALL for FAIL. The difference between being knocked DOWN and knocked OUT are two things entirely. Experiencing a “fall” doesn’t mean we are to feel ashamed, either. It often feels like we are very alone in our falls, but be certain of this; it happens to us ALL. Most success stories begin with a fall or a major setback. I won’t cite the standard list of successful people who suffered a fall and then got back up and persevered to success…but the list is long and you are in good company for sure. In fact, some of the most successful people in the world have endured some of the most devastating falls in life. But they got back up. They didn’t throw in that proverbial towel, call it quits or head for the ropes. They got up and kept going.
The second rule for parkour is to continue the momentum. Don’t let the situation grind you to a halt and then you sit dazed and confused. Keep “rolling” through the situation. Sure maybe your entire plan for your life has taken a turn. Maybe what seemed so important just minutes ago has all changed. That’s fine. Adapt, refine and then re-define your path. Our path in life is constantly being affected by our experiences. The only way you can avoid this is to live in a cave…alone…forever. I’m not going to judge you for living in a cave, but you’d be missing out on a lot of wonderful things in life. Sure, sometimes we FALL. Sometimes it seems impossible to keep going. But if you learn how to fall “right,” it can help you turn a painful dangerous event into one you can recover from and spring back to your feet.