This week, I came across a simple yet profound LinkedIn video titled “If things aren’t working one way, try changing your approach.”
In it, an older gentleman and a young girl attempt to stack cups into a tall tower. Each time she adds a cup to the top, one from the bottom slips and falls. Undeterred, she picks it up and places it back on top—only for the same thing to happen again.
After several tries, she pauses, thinks, and changes her strategy. This time, she places the fallen cup at the bottom instead of the top. Suddenly, the stack holds firm.
This short clip captures a deep truth: in life, when things keep falling, sometimes the key isn’t to try harder—but to try differently.
Persistence Is Powerful—but Adaptability Wins
The girl’s persistence mirrors our own drive to keep pushing when faced with challenges. But persistence alone isn’t enough. Her breakthrough came not from trying again, but from adjusting her method.
In life, refusing to change a failing approach leads to frustration. True resilience is flexible, not stubborn.
When a method keeps failing, pause, reassess, and try from a different angle.
(The Power of Community)
That post explores how collective perspective and support can strengthen personal adaptability.
Stability Comes from a Strong Foundation
The cup tower’s collapse wasn’t random—it fell because the foundation was unstable.
Similarly, many life challenges—whether in relationships, careers, or health—stem from weak underlying structures.
If the same problems keep resurfacing, it’s time to strengthen the base. Build solid habits, clear priorities, and emotional grounding before piling more on top.
(Harvard Business Review – How to Build a Strong Foundation for Resilience)
This article expands on how foundational strength creates long-term stability.
A Fresh Perspective Can Shift Everything
The girl’s “aha” moment came when she stopped repeating the same move and instead changed her sequence. That simple shift changed the result entirely.
When you feel stuck, invite a new perspective. Talk to someone outside your circle, challenge your assumptions, or simply pause to reflect. Sometimes the answer isn’t to rebuild the tower—it’s to rebuild the order.
Focus on What You Can Control
Instead of fixing the entire structure from the top down, the girl focused on the one fallen cup—the part she could control.
Likewise, resilience grows when we tackle manageable parts of a problem, not the entire mountain at once.
You can’t control everything, but you can control your actions, your focus, and your next move.
“Concentrating on manageable parts of a problem rather than overwhelming yourself …”
(The Shifting Lens of Life: How Our View of Life Changes Over Time)
That post explores how perspective changes help us handle life’s challenges more effectively.
Practical Takeaways for Everyday Life
✅ Be adaptable: When your approach stops working, adjust your method. A small shift can create big change.
✅ Address foundations: Strengthen the base—skills, relationships, routines—before adding new layers.
✅ Seek new viewpoints: Look at problems from different angles. Innovation starts with curiosity.
✅ Practice resilience: Keep trying, but stay open to new strategies. Balance perseverance with flexibility.
Final Reflection: Think Smarter, Not Harder
Life’s challenges are like cup stacks—balancing, falling, rebuilding. Success depends less on sheer persistence and more on strategy and self-awareness.
When things keep falling apart, don’t just rebuild from the top. Strengthen the bottom. Shift your approach.
Sometimes, the solution to instability isn’t to push harder—it’s to think smarter.
Remember, every fall is an invitation to rebuild with more wisdom and balance.
