Friday 10 February 2012

Fear of failure

I have a secret to admit to you....whenever I start to write in a new notebook I just have to leave the first page blank. It looks so beautifully clean and unsullied that I can't bear to spoil it by putting my scrawl on it. Sometimes I even start at the back of the book, working my way forwards! If I had beautiful calligraphic handwriting, and had something outstandingly wise to say, then I'd go for it but until then my habit remains.

I began to wonder if sometimes I approach each new day like this, and that's how this 'poem' got written.



A blank sheet of paper,
So new,
So clean,
So full of promise
Yet so full of fear -
Fear of failing
Fear of spoiling it
Fear of going wrong and making a mess.

Be confident
Like a child.
Enjoy making the marks.
You don’t expect a child
To draw a masterpiece do you?
Don’t you praise her efforts
And feel pride in what she can achieve
At her age?
So it is with you.
You are not perfect.
You are where you are
And nobody can expect you to be anywhere else.
Have fun!
And if you make a mistake,
Well, never mind -
Throw it away and start again.
I love you.
I am proud of you.
I enjoy what you do.
So go to it!

6th Dec. 98


Picture found using Google images http://www.reading-with-kids.com/readingactivities.html

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