Submitted by mantasmark t3_114z6ns in GetMotivated
danteelite t1_j909wj1 wrote
When I used to teach I would say âyou didnât fail, you just havenât succeeded yet.â
Failure is a big word, like âhateâ.. itâs easy to throw around but it can carry serious weight for some people. So I like to acknowledge the fact that weâre still learning and like the mythbusters said âFailure is always an option.â But as long as you keep trying, youâll succeed eventually. Either you succeed at your goal or you learn something.
So whenever I fail at something I just call it a âlearning opportunityâ and keep going, because I didnât fail⌠I just havenât succeeded yet.
Life is full of learning opportunities, and itâs how we react to them that determines how and how much we grow! Messing up and failing a little doesnât mean you suck⌠it means you were brave enough to try something to begin with! When I see a chubby person at the gym I donât think âHaha.. FAT! Why are they here?!â even though I know whatâs what theyâre imagining people thinking.. I choose to think of the self discipline and courage to change and better themselves and I have respect for that person. I donât laugh when I see a teenager falling down wearing dorky pads at the skatepark⌠I applaud their determination to learn and take care of their body. âBadâ art is just a stepping stone to becoming an amazing artist! Everyone starts somewhere and everyone hits speedbumps. We all fail before we succeed.
Trying takes effort and courage, remember that. Failures are opportunities to learn and grow, so when it inevitably happens, take a moment to understand why it happened and do better next time with new information. Donât be ashamed of growing and getting better, because thatâs how life works. We all stumble before we walk. No one was born an artist or athlete, they got there by failing again and again until they succeeded.
[deleted] t1_j90rtck wrote
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KristiiNicole t1_j91c3zy wrote
They took the free awards away a while back unfortunately. I definitely would have given them mine as well!
[deleted] t1_j9aybtf wrote
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KristiiNicole t1_j91c660 wrote
As someone in a not so great place that has a habit of giving up way too easily, and while Iâve heard this advice (or at least similar to it) many times before, for some reason the particular way you wrote this actually really sunk in for me and has given me a lot to chew on, thank you.
Another_Road t1_j91druf wrote
The power of âyetâ.
Majestic_Flounder_44 t1_j91729u wrote
Thank you so much for your words friend! God bless you đ
countess_snow t1_j91huzr wrote
When you used to teach, did you give out failing grades?
danteelite t1_j92n01t wrote
I wasnât that kind of teacher.. lol
I taught self defense, firearms basics and security consulting. It was very important to not let my students give up, because quitting your shooting classes because you canât keep up, but still keeping your firearm is a scary thought. Same with self defense, I need people to know that ANYONE can keep themselves and their loved ones safe, and it doesnât require a gun or ninja skills. Stuff like self awareness, common sense, and a little bit of basic planning goes a very long way. 90% of dangerous situations can be avoided before they ever happen.
Youâd be surprised how many people feel like a failure when it comes to protecting themselves or their families and how devastating it is for them. They feel like crappy mothers, weak âun-manlyâ men, or an unworthy partner. I had to very often explain to people that it isnât their job to be a soldier⌠basic knowledge and a few simple skills can do 90% of the work. Tap your collar bone or back of your hand lightly with the edge of your cellphone, try it.. hurts, doesnât it? Surprisingly bad for such a light tap. It doesnât take much to protect yourself if you know how.
50% of my job was instructing students, preparing classes and teaching, and the other 50% was teaching people to believe in themselves, reassuring people and sometimes answering âstupid questionsâ because other people who work in the firearms/defense industry are condescending jerks who treat people like morons for not knowing things that they consider âbasicââŚ
So short answer, No. I never failed anyone, I tried to make sure everyone got what they needed from my class, whether it was firearms basics to get their carry license, self defense tactics or just someone to talk to about all of the questions theyâve been too afraid to ask about guns, defense, emergency situations or whatever else.
As a rule, I always believe in people. I know people are capable of so much more than they think they are. It shouldnât take an emergency or life or death situation for you to recognize how incredible you are! Some people just look in the mirror with one eye closed and need to see themselves through someone elseâs eyes who can see how much potential they have and how awesome they are. I donât know you, but I know youâre incredible too.. I know youâre capable of really amazing things of you want to. Olympic athletes, geniuses and mothers who lift cars off their children arenât another species⌠weâre all human. Youâre capable of that too! Thatâs the mindset I keep when I teach or help people.
Hope that helps clarify, sorry if it was misleading or something⌠I have too much respect for actual academic teachers to try to compare myself to them!
Go88milesperhour t1_j9846lu wrote
I donât know if anyone has ever told you this but thank you for being you.
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