NGU

NGU. Never Give Up. That's the phrase of our high school girls softball team. I guess you see phrases like this a lot in sports.  I've been thinking about this ideal quite a bit. Parenting is tough. We want so many things for our kids. My kids are reluctant to try new things, and if there is something they aren't good at, they won't do it at all. I wonder where I would be today, if just once, someone told me, not to give up. Example,

I have short little legs, asthma and am super slow. I never could run a mile in school. What if someone told me, you don't start at a mile? Just alternate walking and running and eventually if you don't give up, you will be able to do it? Or, it doesn't matter if your slow, just keep going and eventually you will be able to add speed. Or yeah, your brain is telling you to stop. Its normal, you aren't dying, tell it to shut up.

The point is, if we only do the things we are good at, we will never know what we can accomplish. Do the things you love, even if you aren't the best. Or, in a small town, even if the judging is unfair.

I'm not pointing the finger, or blaming anyone. It's something that I honestly didn't know growing. I didn't realize it until I began to try to inspire my own kids. I think they teach me more than I teach them.

This is a great quote from Krissy over at the venspired learning blogs:

Try.

Even when its hard. Even when you think you might fail. Even when you feel like you're not going to reach your goal. Because trying? Taking a risk? Reaching a goal? That's learning.


And, its never too late.