No, I Can Do It.
A child is a master at learning new things. If you need to reconnect with the skill of learning, watch what a child does and says when they tackle something for the first time. When adults need to change, they need to become childlike . . . not childish . . . childlike. They need to give themselves permission to be a beginner. They must be willing to stumble, to fail until they get it right. Everyone has the ability to transform themselves, they just don’t use it. They are hesitant to commit to the change process because of fear, doubt and embarrassment at looking silly.
My article, Where do passions come from, drew a lively response from around the world. Some people agree with the premise that passion comes from childhood impressions, others believe passion comes from childhood trauma, while others argue passion comes from repetitive actions.
Children are passionate about learning. As they grow older the learning process gets corrupted. Their egos develop, social conformity takes hold, and they begin to automatically sensor their attempts at change. Being cool is more important than being smart. That’s one of the reasons mental health professionals tell us to get back to our roots . . . our golden years . . . and practice, practice, practice and try, try again.
Watch the video of Gavin Stevens, a blind four year old, take his first step off a curb by himself. He tells his mother “No, I can do it.” Then he tells himself repeatedly “I can do it” . . . and then the joy of “I did it!” It’s a powerful piece. The courage to say “No I can do it” is a skill we all have, we just need to re-activate it.