The following poem was inspired (a long time ago) by the residents that I work with each and every day. I am reminded often of how important this message is, not just for the time that I spend with the residents, but for so many of us in various aspects of our lives.
Help Me
What's that? You say you want to help me,
Great, because honestly, I don't know how...
Stand back, watch...okay...but wait...we're done?
How... I didn't get to do anything...
I thought you said you wanted to help,
You did? But you don't understand what I meant...
"I don't know how" does not mean "I can't,"
It simply means that I never learned this...
To help me would be to teach me how,
I need to know all that I am capable of...
Take my hands in yours and guide me,
Step by step, I can learn how to do things...
Sometimes, I may get impatient with myself,
Or you... but I need your understanding...
Sometimes, I may want to quit trying,
But I need your belief in my ability to learn...
What's that? You say you want to help me,
Please then, show me how to do it for myself.
So often when I begin a new project, or try to learn something new, I think it would just be easier to have someone else do it for me, someone who already has this skill or that skill. But then, if I am diligent in my efforts and I actually manage to complete the task myself, suddenly I am filled with that wonderful feeling we all get when we have done something for the very first time. The ego boost... the pride, the joy of getting the first flower to bloom in the garden (for us beginners). You remember that feeling, don't you?
What was the last new thing you tried to learn? Did you struggle with it before finally "getting it" down right? Could anything replace that feeling of accomplishment once you succeeded? Were you fortunate enough to have someone, anyone, there, believing in your ability to master the skill?
Or maybe you were the person trying to show someone else, maybe a friend, how to do something new... Did you make sure they understood that you knew they could get it done, get it right? How did you let them know of your belief in their abilities? When they mastered that something new, did you let them know what a great job they had done? How proud you were of them for even trying?
4 comments:
I know this feeling of achievement very well. It happens every time I learn a bit more about how to operate a computer!
The learning process is endless, it lasts a lifetime if we are lucky enough to be programmed that way, and the joy is new each time.
I don't learn new things easily - especially technology.
The poem could apply to the work that I do too - it's just that the people with whom I work are trying to find their way back into their communities - they need to be shown how, but example, but that can be hard for people to remember!
Achievement is the result of effort and is a boost to the soul.
Sometimes, I find that with my children or students it's easier to do the project than teach them. But I have to stand back and let them learn so they can feel achievement, too.
oops, I didn't realize my husband was signed in - the above post is from Lorrie.
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