The Surprising Lesson I Learned From a 5-Year Old

Kids are some of the best teachers.  Seemingly out of nowhere, they will do or say something that is such a great lesson for life, without even realizing it.  The innocence of it all makes it that much better.

Take my 5-year old daughter, Hannah, for instance.  The other day, we were driving down the road and we got onto a topic of one of the kids in her Tae Kwon Do class that dropped out of the class.  She was peppering me with questions as to why this kid had left and wasn't coming back.

We went back and forth for a while (if you are a parent, you know this routine), to where I finally said, "Sometimes people just give up."

Hannah sat in silence for a while as I continued driving.  I could see her in the rear view mirror and could tell she was thinking and pondering on the subject.  It was total silence for 3-5 mins.

Then, she spoke up.  She said, "Daddy, people need to give up on giving up!"

Immediately I smiled in only the way a proud dad can and said, "Honey, you are right.  Yes, they do."

It is amazing how one little innocent sentence from a 5-year old can carry so much weight, wisdom, and importance.  That one sentence is one that everyone in the world should hear.  You need to hear it.  You need to give up on giving up.  

Is there something that you have given up on or considering giving up on?  Why?  Can you change your way of thinking and actions so that you can succeed with it?  If you are committed to something, then be committed.  Go after it with tenacity and tell yourself that giving up is not an option.  Make "Give up on Giving Up" you daily mantra and go make it happen!