So, I’m sitting here watching a miracle unfold right in front of me. My 12 month old daughter is just starting to walk! I know at some stage we have all gone through the process ourselves, but it never dawned on me the tenacity that it takes do what we now consider something we can literally do with our eyes closed.
For so long she has been crawling on all fours, all the time looking up and watching her older siblings running around. She then started to pull herself upright on furniture or even my leg, anything. In order to get from the coffee table to the couch she had to drop to her knees, craw over and the pull herself up. Quite a task really. Then one day she just decided that that was all too hard and she put one foot in front of the other and away she went.
The distances got further and further with a lot of encouragement from all around her. Smiles, claps, tears of joy and wonderment from everyone made her try harder. She fell over, we picked her up, she fell again and again only to get right on up and try again. She started to get better and better to the point that she started to correct her own balance (sometimes) as she wobbled, self-corrected again and then off she went.
I can’t help thinking what might have happened if she applied adult thinking to the process. She might have been embarrassed or self-conscious if she couldn’t get up and walk like everyone else to the point that she only did this in the privacy of her own room. She might not have taken the encouragement too well, she might have decided that it was all too hard and waited until the time was right, She might have thought it was all too hard and that she was not built from the right stuff to take on such a challenge. No – she did none of those things, she just kept trying with lots of positive feedback form those around her. When you think about it – there was no way back – just forward.
So – if we applied the same “innocent” based thinking to some of life’s obstacles what might we be able to achieve? What if we got better and better at doing something because we stuck at it, what if we accepted that if others can do it so to can I. What if we followed in the footsteps of others who have done OK at the task. So much is possible if we just believe we can do something and keep trying.
Some try on their own to improve, some follow others, some read books (or watch YouTube), some attend workshops or seminars and some get help from someone who has done this before, a Coach or even a Consultant. Our egos sometimes get in the way of letting us look for help, it is not a sign of weakness to ask for help, it is a sign of strength to get help. There plenty of people that you can turn to it then gets down to who? Your parents have old school thinking, your accountant will focus on costs and consultants will do the walking for you.
A coach is the one person who will help you get clear on what it is you want to achieve and then design a plan of attack on the best way to get there then hold you accountable for doing the work required to achieve the goals. So, if you feel like you are falling down or are a little to scared to try it alone, or need someone on your side to show you how – you know who to call. It’s really not that hard once you know how.
Thanks for reading,
Si Harris
