The Power of Yet has made me realize that we are not failures at things, we just need more time to practice and get better. As a teacher, this had made me realize what that "F" on their test or homework tells them. Why should every person have to accomplish things at the same time? That is not realistic. I think about babies when they are learning how to crawl, walk, talk, etc. If a baby doesn't learn how to walk by the time they are a year old, we don't call them failures or give them an "F" on that skill. Instead we encourage them to keep trying and we know they will get the skill when they are ready. So why when we get older, do we find the need to tell people that they fail at something?
Going forward as a teacher and giving grades, I would really like to give kids a "not yet" grade. This would tell them that they are working hard but have not accomplished the skill quite yet, which is okay! It will keep them motivated to keep trying and know that they are improving and getting close to achieving that skill. I would like to take off needs improvement, "F" or not satisfactory on the report cards because these send a negative message to the child. Having that "not yet" will keep it positive and inspiring that they will get it.
When I face challenges, I want to remind myself to add "yet" to whatever I think I can't do. I want this to remind me to keep trying and not to give up. I usually strive on having a challenge because I like the feeling of accomplishment afterwards. Thinking of that moment of accomplishment will help me work through any challenge I face. I think about last summer when I was hiking with a friend in Glacier National Park in Montana. We got to this path that was called the Grinnell Glacier Overlook trail. It was only .6 miles but 900 feet climb in elevation. It is a very strenuous uphill climb. When I first saw it, I was thinking that I can't do it and we should keep going. But, my friend had said we are only here once, let's go! So I bucked up and we did it! When we got to the top- it was amazing! So worth the hard work that was put in to get there. The feeling of achievement was exciting and wondrous! I want to remember this feeling when I say "I can't" to help work through any struggles because if you don't work through them, you will never see or experience that moment of accomplishment and may miss out on something great. I am sure glad I overpowered my "I can't" and didn't miss out on this!
REMEMBER THIS MOMENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT!
Very good to have experiences to look back on to know you can do something that is tough, such as hiking up that trail. That wasn't Confusion Mountain, was it? Also, I thought you were spot on with that comparison about the kids not being able to do something yet, and instead of marking them with "failure," we encourage them to get it the next time. That really made sense to me, thanks!
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