COURAGE

At the beginning of grade ten my son Robbie, unbeknownst to either myself or his mother, went around to all his teachers and asked each of them what he needed to do to get an A in their subject.

When he got to his PE teacher he was told, “Robbie, there is no way you are ever going to get an A in PE!”

Now there are many different ways to respond to a student, of whatever ability in your subject, when they ask you how to succeed in your subject – but telling them it is a hopeless quest is not one of them.

This is the opposite of encouragement and stops the student’s engagement with the teacher, and their subject, dead.

The sad thing is that this kind of thing is all too common, and not just at school.  Instead of responding to someone’s enthusiasm, no matter how unrealistic, in a supportive, validating way, people often pour cold water on their ambitions.

I am not going to dive into the reasons why this happens, especially at the beginning of such an important a relationship as student/teacher – it’s too depressing an exercise.

What I’d like to do instead is unpack the power of the word encouragement.

Note the root word – courage.

Courage is a wonderful, powerful force, and we all have that power in us to give to others.  With courage people achieve incredible results, prevail over truly daunting challenges.  Without it they are doomed to failure and frustration.  It’s that simple.

My work as a parent advisor is built on that belief.  If we can encourage others there is no limit to what they can achieve, no limit to what they can imagine and manifest.

My mission is to encourage you to encourage – give courage to – your children.

To take it one step further the root of courage is cour – or heart.  So we can give heart to others. 

Without it – nothing.  With it – everything.