The exceptional 5-year-old you see in this video is named, Phoenix. What you just witnessed was Phoenix in his Martial Arts class, and he was in tears and ready to give up because he couldn’t break the board. As we can see in the end, it wasn’t because he lacked the strength or ability, but what we can deduce is that maybe he lacked mental strength in the moment. We don’t know exactly why, but just maybe he was battling his own doubts and fears in his head. Could it be that he was already defeated before he even hit the mat? Maybe his thoughts went something like this, “What if I go out there and give it my absolute all, but I still can’t break the board? Will they all laugh at me?” I don’t know about you, but even as an adult that can be a hard situation to face. No one wants to be the brunt of a joke, and kids can be relentless at times. The amount of courage Phoenix had to build up to even go out there in front of all of his peers, while feeling insecure in his own ability to complete the task, was nothing short of heroic . If you ask me, I say we can learn a lot from the children in the video; First, from Phoenix for being brave enough to try. Let’s not disregard the amazing support he received from his peers. As you can see, he went out there alone and tried to conquer the task at hand ALONE! When he felt like he had given it all he had and was still failing, he was in tears and ready to give up, but WAIT… Even when he did not believe in himself his peers believed in his ability. Could it be that when Phoenix was in his head and didn’t believe that he could do it, that maybe he was telling himself that everyone else believed the same thing about him? Well, obviously that was not the truth. They did believe that he could do it, and they weren’t holding back on letting him know that he could, and that they were in his corner, willing to support him every step of the way. As they begin to cheer for him, and chant his name, Phoenix drew strength from the support and encouragement they so freely gave him. It pushed him to try harder, and not to give up, but more importantly, he witnessed firsthand how being surrounded with positive people and people that will cheer you on in the background can give you the strength that even you didn’t know you possessed. I wish I would’ve learned that lesson at 5 years old.
How many of us adults face these challenges daily? It may not be in a Martial Arts class, but maybe it looks like not applying for the promotion, because you don’t really think you’ll get it anyway. Or, maybe it looks like not getting into a relationship, because you are afraid it will fail? I mean, you can’t be rejected if you never try right? So many of us are afraid to put ourselves out there and try new things that may ultimately contribute to our overall happiness, because we are afraid of failing publicly. We also tend to think that the things that we are most insecure about within ourselves that others think the same thing about us. We allow ourselves to get caught up in our own insecurities and project them on others. This brings me to the point of why it is so important to have people in your corner that will cheer for you, and “chant your name”. I’m not just referring to those who say “I believe in you”. I am referring to those you can tell your dreams to, and they will not only believe in you, but hold you accountable. Those that ask, “How may I help?” I am talking about those that when you fall off track they will help you to get back on course. I am talking about those that will remind you of your “WHY” when you forget. All you need are one or two of those people, if you are fortunate to come across more, then bless you! A positive support system can do wonders for your success, as we just witnessed with Phoenix. Please understand you cannot MAKE someone be that person to you. We tend to have an idea of the person/people that we want to support us on that level, and when they don’t we feel discouraged. Again, we tell ourselves that, that thing that we are insecure about within ourselves, that they must think that too. No, not necessarily. That just may not be their role in your life. We automatically expect those closest to us to be our biggest supporters and that is not always the case. You were created to thrive. Don’t let your own insecurities or lack of support stop you. Seek out those people that are going to cheer for you and support you without trying to make someone fit into your puzzle piece. Trust me, you will save some relationships. When you start to feel discouraged, remember little Phoenix and his friends, and find the strength to push forward. It may not be that you lack the ability, but rather you may not possess the mental strength in the moment. PUSH HARDER! YOU CAN DO IT! HOW MAY I HELP?
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