Peter and I recently helped judge DECA. It was the state competition, so the stakes were a little bigger. We were listening to students pitch their impromptu ideas for improving a make-believe business event. They had 10 minutes to prepare, then about the same amount of time to present their ideas. Some we listened to were very well spoken, knew their vocabulary, were creative in their approach and presented their ideas solidly. Others had more difficulty presenting their ideas, were a bit tongue tied and the pressure got to them. One gal cried. The pressure was too much, and though I tried to get her to take big breaths so she could present her notes, she had pages of them, she cracked under the pressure. She left the room early, and I imagine, found a place where she could be alone to cry and release all the frustration she was feeling.
I think we’ve all had those meltdowns at some point in time. I remembered one today when a youth played a duet with her mom for a special musical number. I had the “opportunity” to play a piano piece for Sacrament Meeting. I think I was 14 or 15. What I remember about the experience is I didn’t want to do it, I was grateful that it was an unknown musical number, and I haven’t played the piano for anyone since, that I can remember. I hit a handful of correct notes that day, and it solidified that the piano was not something I wanted attached to my name.
The gal that cried might give up on DECA, like I gave up on the piano, but she might not. What it did make me think is that doing something, and not doing it well is part of life. It isn’t failing if you try. Resilience is something we need to learn from a young age. Being taught how to pick ourselves up when things don’t go our way is a necessity in this life. There may be times when we sit on the ground and become one with the dirt for a while, but at some point in time we have to get up.
If you haven’t had any reason to be resilient in your life, then I worry about if you’ve truly lived. To live is to fail, to fall short, and to learn from our mistakes. It is one reason I have loved picking up art again. I fall short constantly, learn a new technique, repaint something multiple times and improve. It is a constant reminder that life is messy. Yet, there can be such beauty found in the process.
As Garth Brooks sings, “Life is not tried if just merely survived.” So, put yourself out there. Do something that you are awful at, even if that is in private. Practice to get better at something you love. Build your resilience, so that when a day comes that is darker than you imagined possible, you’ll know how to rebuild yourself and Who to rely on for the strength necessary to just breathe.
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