Blog

Lately, I can’t help but reminisce about the years when my nieces and nephew were toddlers. It was a stressful but interesting time in retrospect. Their cuteness compensated for the stress of diaper changes, feeding, bathing and watching them. I especially loved playtime because it made me see their brains in action and how they navigated the activities I engaged them in. One part that always stood out for me was watching and helping them learn how to walk.

I love watching babies learn how to walk—seeing how they try to comprehend the process from crawling and standing to walking. Their tiny feet and all that cuteness are a marvel to behold. Therein lies an important lesson for us. Walk with me.

Babies and toddlers are super determined. We might argue that they don’t know it but it’s a fact. I have never seen a healthy baby who gave up on walking. They fall uncountable times in their quest to walk but aren’t deterred from their mission. Most times, they don’t even need our assistance to achieve this goal. You will find them practising when no one is watching and one day, it finally happens—one step becomes two and they realise that it can be repeated to get moving from point A to B.

Failure Is A Necessity

How many times have you fallen on your life’s journey? When you fell, did you stay down? If you got back up, did you fall again and was it easier to get back up yet again? What is your perception of failure?

Failure is an integral part of success and I know it may sound cliche but it cannot be overemphasized. It’s simply the truth. The greatest fear of many is the awareness of people’s reactions to their failure and not the failure itself. Failing is better than not trying. It builds character which is essential for growth.

When teaching babies how to walk, they’re aware of our reactions. You’ll notice their countenance when we cheer them on or sound discouraging. They can tell when you’re being supportive or not. Who are you surrounded by when you fall or fail? Do they matter when you encounter challenges and failures? How do they react to your failures? Your immediate environment can instil the fear of failure in you.

Nature Vs. Nurture

We are equipped to fail- it’s ingrained in our being. Babies aren’t taught to stand up after falling, they know they ought to. Nature is balanced because there are two sides to everything; good and bad, bitter and sweet, descent and ascend, failure and success.

Nurture plays its part because we are social beings who do not live in isolation. External influences have shaped our perception of failure over time and this has resulted in a system that repels failure. Failure is categorically bad and we cannot afford to fail.

When you find yourself failing, remember how babies learn to walk and remind yourself that you’re equipped to fail. You will fall and rise.