Believe What Your Eyes are Telling You

A little boy struggled with the directions. He made one mistake after another and soon tears formed in his eyes. Like all little boys and girls who must come to learn the value of making mistakes, he felt embarrassed and afraid. Like all parents who watch their children make mistakes and struggle, this father badly wanted to take his son by the hand and help him do it right. As I watched this struggle I suggested the father give me 10 minutes with his son after class. I spent a short time helping the boy correct his physical mistakes but most of the time was spent helping him realize that it was o.k. that he was struggling and it was good that he kept trying. Eventually the tears were replaced with smiles and a new found confidence. He also came to realize that his mistakes could not stop him unless he chose to let them stop him.

After I finished with the son I had a short conversation with the father. Before this x-tra session with me the father was thinking about not continuing on in our program. He wanted his son to be a Black Belt but was unsure whether his son had what it would take. I asked the father if he saw what had just happened? If he saw it, did he understand it? What he had just witnessed was a little boy changing before his eyes. The fact that he experienced making mistakes and the frustration that goes with them and then experienced doing it right and not giving up changed that little boy’s chemistry forever. He went on to make many more mistakes, but never seemed to be as worried about those mistakes or how they made him look or feel. He learned how his mistakes could help him become a stronger person. He now came to realize that it was all part of his education to become a Black Belt.

That little boy is now one of our Black Belts. His father saw, believed, and trusted the process after that day.

I wish the same success for all of our families.

Make the plan, work the plan,

NOTE: You’re welcome to "reprint" this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered and please include ConfidentKidsCoach.com as your source.