My boys learned to ride bikes this past week!
There’s nothing quite like the instant when somebody goes from not being able to do something to being able to do it.
It’s damn near magical.
I’m young in my fathering career and still learning the best ways to teach my boys things without getting frustrated.
I once heard somebody say you should get excited when you’re feeling frustrated because you’re about to learn something new. (especially your children)
I find this to be true every time I choose to accept it as truth.
Frustration is what leads to growth, learning, and solutions when you treat it with the respect it deserves.
Seeing the excitement in my boys when they pedaled down the road without me smiling from ear to ear reinforced this lesson.
There was frustration, pain, tears, blood, sweat, and a lot of hard work put into learning on both sides of the pedal and we both came out ahead.
I learned how to teach somebody to ride a bike and more globally improved by teaching skills and bond with my kids.
They learned a host of life-long skills aside from how to ride a bike.
They learned things like putting in the work, getting back up after they fall, the importance of practice, and how to persevere and ultimately succeed.
It seems as we age we choose to give up on things that are uncomfortable or don’t come easy.
Shoot, we can barely read a full book anymore without feeling frustrated, anxious, or “bored.”
Starting a new workout program, a new training phase at Kvell, a new nutrition plan are all frustrating and many give up before they even give themselves a real chance to start.
Learning and growth are challenging.
That is the point.
If they were not you would not be learning and growing.
Find ways to love the things that you hate so that you can grow beyond the person you currently are.
Remember, get excited when you are frustrated as you are about to learn something.
Brett “Love Hate” Denton