I taught my daughter to ride a bike this weekend.

I’d been pretty successful teaching my eldest daughter how to ride, so I figured it wouldn’t be much different with my youngest. Long story short, it wasn’t.

I would get her going, running alongside the bike with one hand on the handlebars and another on the seat to keep her straight and balanced. As she gained momentum, I’d tell her to pedal, while I initiated my release. But she wouldn’t get one full pedal rotation in before eventually falling over. I’d encourage her to get back on and try again. Begrudgingly, she’d mount the bike, I’d get her going, and just as she began to pedal, she’d stop, fall, and cry—a lot. Like, a lot, a lot.

“I’m scared.” “I’m not good at riding.” “I want to go home.”

This was the continued refrain that accompanied her stream of tears.

I told her to keep trying, “don’t stop pedaling,” and for a brief second there—after what seemed like her millionth attempt—she did it. She was riding! Sure, she only went about 10 feet before falling over again, but she actually rode. Success.

As we celebrated her triumph, it became clear to me that her challenge wasn’t due to a lack of skill; rather, it was a matter of fear. And that’s how it is with us. Sometimes we get afraid of falling, so we don’t fully try.

But, of course. Who wants to fall? Falling sucks. However, if we don’t try, we won’t ride. The key is to keep pedaling. Like I told my daughter, “If you keep pedaling, chances are, you won’t fall. You only fall when you stop pedaling. So, keep pedaling.”

And if things start to get wobbly, pedal harder. Just don’t stop pedaling.