My boys started a week-long ninja-spy camp this week.
They said they wanted to do it and we thought they would enjoy it.
Monday it started, Tuesday our youngest was sick and our eldest decided he hated it and didn’t want to go anymore.
Sounds a lot like the reaction when any of us start something new where we have to meet new people, learn new things, and use our body in ways that we are not adept at yet.
The keyword being “yet”.
What did we tell our eldest who didn’t want to go anymore?
The same thing most parents would tell them…
“You have to learn to meet new people, learn new things, and deal with dislikes…Overall, you need to learn to be okay being uncomfortable. You may not know those kids yet or be able to do those things yet, but you will with practice.”
The same things I tell my six and four-year-old I often have to tell myself and those I coach.
One great thing about having kids, being a coach, leader, or mentor is that you get to look at your own actions and how you are being, acting and doing.
Are you telling others to eat their veggies and then not eating yours?
Are you telling others to see it through to the end and then when you are faced with discomfort throwing in the towel early?
Are you preaching to be nice to people and then flipping the bird to the person that cuts you off in traffic or yelling at the server who forgot to put the dressing on the side?
Are you a “do what I say not as I do” person?
The world has enough of those, why not be a “do as I do” person to balance things out?
Your children, friends, and family are far more likely to do as you do then they are to do as you say no matter how many times or how forcefully you say it.
Step up your game and join the ranks of the doers by being a do as I do person.
Brett “Doing” Denton