Rise With Intention, Fall With Wisdom, Repeat

“The fundamental algorithm of life.”

Photo by Ave Calvar on Unsplash

Philosopher and author Viktor Frankl was right, “Those who have a why to live can bear almost any how.” Everything that keeps me going is a cycle. A process. Intention gives me direction. Direction turns effort into meaning. Without it, I have no path. With it, I feel unstoppable.

But intention alone isn’t enough.

I have to act. When I do, not everything goes to plan. I rise, but I fall too. Everyone does. Falling isn’t failing. It’s wisdom. It’s part of the process. I learn more from falling than I do from rising. Falling teaches me patience.

It humbles me.

It shows me what I need to change. That’s wisdom — pulling lessons out of the fall. As Marcus Aurelius said, “The obstacle is the way.” Most people fear the fall. I get it. It’s painful. It’s embarrassing. But avoiding the fall means avoiding growth.

If I never fall, I’m not trying hard enough. Wisdom comes from falling hard and standing back up. I don’t just survive the fall — I rise stronger.

And then I repeat.

This is the part that matters most. The cycle grows stronger. I become more resilient. Every rise leads to another fall. Wisdom isn’t avoiding the fall. It’s using…