Our society is so focused on making sure that our children have the best test scores, are the best athletes and have the best grades. This expectation of perfection pressures our kids and teaches them to focus on the wrong thing. We need to be teaching our children the importance of having a positive attitude rather than striving for perfection. My teenage daughter taught me this life lesson, and it is one I will never forget.
Varsity Volleyball
Recently my daughter came home from school with some conflicting news. She made the varsity volleyball team and was so excited, but then in private the coach let her know that most likely she would be sitting on the bench throughout the season. This understandably was disappointing and made her wonder if she should play on the junior varsity team instead.
My daughter eventually decided to stick with the varsity team, because even if she wouldn’t get a lot of playing time during her games, she enjoyed the advanced practice with players that were better than herself. The day of their first game arrived and it was pretty painful to watch. Her team did well and even won the game. But watching my athletic and excited daughter sit on the bench during the whole game was painful.
She Made The Choice To Be Positive
I expected to see a glum girl after the game but she was surprisingly upbeat! She was excited for her team, grateful for the practice she was getting, and hopeful that she might get into the game later in the season as her skills improved. She’s such a trooper. In fact, the difference in my daughter’s attitude between her first game and the rest of the season only improved, as did her skill. She was playing in games shortly after the season started and it was a huge boost to her confidence. Looking back on the experience made me wonder, what things in my life should I be less pessimistic about?
What Aspects Of My Life Deserve An Attitude Adjustment?
Looking over my life as a dad, husband, writer, and very little else, it’s pretty mundane and routine. I can easily get down about my robotic schedule of waking up, going to w, making time for a run, having dinner with my family, and then cleaning up the house and heading to bed. But I’ve realized there are really great benefits to my robotic schedule and super mundane life – regular runs keep me in shape and mentally sound, my wife is a steady constant that I can rely on when random chaos breaks loose, and we really never have to worry about making our mortgage with Easton Mortgage, or providing for the need of our family.
Like my daughter, I’m just going to keep practicing. I’ll enjoy learning from my peers and improving my abilities, and I’ll look forward to the day when I get put into the game for more than just a few minutes at a time.
The Best Life Lesson From All Of Her Hard Work
After the season was over, there was an awards banquet the parents were invited to attend. The coach got up and before handing out the MVP award, explained what an asset this player has been to the team, and how no matter what they go on to do in life, he has no doubt they will be successful. He then calls my daughter’s name, who then stands up completely dumbstruck assuming he was talking about one of their star players. Her coach, and every player of the team appreciated her positivity and uplifting attitude. Being a MVP benchwarmer taught my daughter how having a positive attitude is more important than being the best at something.
Tyler Jacobson is a husband, father, freelance writer with experience with organizations that help troubled teens and parents. His areas of focus include: parenting, social media, addiction, mental illness, and issues facing teenagers today. Follow Tyler on: Twitter | LinkedIn