There may be a time in school where you encounter some obstacles. These obstacles can come in the form of difficulty learning; maybe math doesn’t come easy to you, or, maybe it’s reading. It’s different for everyone. Some kids – things come really quick. For others, it takes a little time.
The mistake that kids make when things don’t come easy is they assume because it’s difficult – it must mean they can’t do it, or, they aren’t smart. NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH!
Think about this; George Washington had trouble spelling = did that mean he wasn’t smart? Thomas Edison had dyslexia = did that mean he wasn’t smart?
Just because things are difficult doesn’t mean you can’t do it. Speaking of Thomas Edison – it took him over 1,000 tries to invent the light bulb! Did that mean he couldn’t do it? Obviously it didn’t mean that.
If you want to do well in school this year – when you run into challenges – you have to have the attitude of the Pump Handle;
Many famers still use pump handles these days to get water out of the ground for their crops and animals. I’m sure you’ve all seen a pump handle. The thing about a pump handle is that you never know where the water is? Is the water deep in the ground, or is it near the top. Because you can’t see into the ground – you have no way of knowing where the water is – BUT YOU KNOW IT’S THERE! So, what do you do? You just keep pumping!
This is the exact same attitude you need to have in order to overcome obstacles! A farmer pumps the handle because he knows there is water down there. Overcoming obstacles begins with believing you have the ability! Once you realize you have the ability – then you just start pumping. You start giving it your best. Sometime it takes a few pumps – sometimes it takes more. But you must be fully convinced that you can do it! If you don’t believe that - you’ll give up and stop trying.
