W.I.N. Wednesday: Lessons From Life's Most Powerful Question - They screamed; I smiled.
Normally the sounds of kids screaming on a Sunday afternoon while I am trying to read does not make me smile. This was different.
In the green space outside the balcony of our condo are two large mounds of dirt. These dirt hills have been there since we moved in. Over time some of the kids in the neighbourhood have begun to use them to enhance their BMX bicycle skills. The size of the hills attracts kids that I would guess to be 8 to 12 years old.
This past weekend I was sitting in my living room reading Courage: The Backbone of Leadership by Gus Lee. It was a beautiful day so I had all the windows open. I heard the screams of the kids from the hills and it made me smile. Why?
They were screams of joy, excitement and accomplishment. The kids who come to the hills are all wearing helmets (safety is important) and they all have growth mindsets when it comes to their biking skills. They spend hours riding down the bigger of the two hills gathering enough courage and speed to make it up the next mound and launch their bike into the air for a brief second. They then turn around and ride back up the first hill if they can. Some of them have to get off their bikes half way up and push their bikes the rest of the way up the hill. They keep working at this too until they can ride all the way up.
These kids are willing to put in the time and effort to get better. They are willing to take a risk. They celebrate their small successes. They are physically active. They are having fun. They are spending time with people who support their dreams and goals and who will help build their competence and confidence.
These kids are learning and living valuable life skills and that makes me smile.
What's Important Now? - Develop a growth mindset. Put in the work. Be willing to take a risk. Celebrate your small successes. Have fun. Hang out with other growth minded people. Keep asking Life's Most Powerful Question.
Take care.
Brian Willis
Committed to the pursuit of excellence through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?
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