Do It Unafraid
Posted on Monday, October 22, 2018
Categories:
Human Resources
Have you ever watched a toddler transition from crawling to walking? A toddler will fall down time and time again and keep getting up to try again. A toddler isn’t sitting in a corner counting the number of times he’s fallen or beating herself up for not taking enough steps forward while learning how to walk.
Once the walking is mastered, a determined toddler will take it to the next level and begin to climb over gates, furniture, etc. As a parent it can be exhausting keeping up with an active and determined toddler, however, there are insightful lessons to be learned:
- Toddlers tend to do it without fear as they haven’t yet learned to be afraid
- Toddler get back up quickly and ready to try again
- Toddlers look for alternative methods to accomplish the goal (just watch them cruise - holding onto furniture to maintain balance as they begin to walk)
- Toddlers practice over and over until they achieve their goal (ever watch a toddler drop a toy or spoon repeatedly from a highchair during a meal)
How did we lose that inherent resilience?
Something happens as we grow up and are told it’s not good to fail. We tend to stay safe with the sure wins, go with the crowd or rely on traditions that have worked in the past. While these methods in themselves have proven results, solely relying on them can be limiting. We learn and develop a fear of failing and become reluctant to step out and try something new. We begin to speak and believe phrases like I can’t or it’s too hard or I’m not smart enough.
Let’s pause for a moment and go back to our toddler discussion.
When a toddler is challenged with a difficult or new task, they may whine or cry for a few moments, but they are quick to seek help perhaps from a parent or sibling or explore a new way around the problem. I recall a few months ago, going through the phase with my toddler of wanting to feed himself. He kept saying “I do” and he never gave a thought to the messes he made while learning to feed himself. He didn’t give up when food fell off his spoon and onto the floor or down the side of his highchair. With each meal, he remained determined to feed himself and now he’s become more proficient in feeding himself.
We too have the option to embrace life with an "I do" or "I can" attitude. I encourage you to take whatever your next step may be unafraid as a toddler learning to walk until you’ve reached your goal.
"Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently."
- Henry Ford
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