You fell? Get the F*** Up!
When you fall down, you have to get back up. There is nothing grand or shocking in this, but it's an action that gets forgotten.
Other then the game of pulling information out of that silent stranger sitting across the desk from you, or better yet, finding ways to engage them and get honest answers, one of the hardest parts of the face-to-face is dealing with a person's steps backward on their journey. And notice I said steps. Very seldom is there a single step lost. This is especially true with someone who is only just beginning to attempt to make changes in their life. It's important to help them realize that falling down is part of the process, and is not a reason to give up.
When you fall down, you have to get back up. There is nothing grand or shocking in this, but it's an action that gets forgotten. Especially in that moment of falling. You will fall often. This is not an if, it's a when. You will fall, I can absolutely guarantee it will happen. There is nothing unusual or new here. Falling on your face will be part of your life. Falling down was part of life in the past and will continue into the future, even if you are doing everything right. But remember, the fall won't ultimately define you (unless you let it), getting back up is what matters the most.
Every time you get up you learn. You improve. You become something a little bit more then you were. Maybe that won't mean anything beyond yourself, but at least you can see better standing then lying on the ground. Just keep in mind that life is not static, but a moving, unstoppable ride. All you can do is try to stay upright as life goes through twists, turns and sudden stops. Again and again and again you will be moving in the right direction and then suddenly you will find yourself falling out onto the road or stopped facing the wrong direction.
What had seemed so easy and possible will suddenly not be. You will have to stand up, look back in the direction you were heading, and want to go, then begin moving forward again. Don't stop, just keep moving. A step at a time. This will get easier, but even then you will still find yourself slipping, or sliding backwards, falling flat on your face. But the more often you get back up, face forward and move, the easier it will become, until getting up and moving on will be a part of you and how you react to adversity and failure. So get the fuck up and move.