When someone asks you to try something you have never done before, it's natural to feel hesitation. For a four or five year old its downright intimating. Some kids won't try at all because they're afraid of making a mistake or looking foolish. How does one become a perfectionist at the age of five, anyways?
Michael continued to say class after class, "I can't do it. I don't know how. I can't do that very good."
"Of course you don't know how. There is always the first time for everyone. So what if we can't do it the first time, we are just learning how to do it. We're teaching our body and brains how to do it. So... Go, Mike."
Michael does it perfectly, or his efforts show great promise. Praise and high fives all around.
"Well, Mike. I guess I can't believe you anymore."
Michael's eyes get big. "Why?"
"Because every time you tell me you can't do it, you go and do it perfectly the first or second time. So I guess I can't believe you when you tell me you can't. As a matter of fact, the ONLY person that ever says that you can't do something is, let me see.....
Not me. I always know you can do it. Not Destiny (his six year old sister and classmate today) because she's always encouraging and offers suggestions on how to do it better, so she obviously believes you can do it too. Everyone else believes you can do it. Yes, the only person that says you can't do it is Michael. Your body can do it, because your body is doing it correctly all the time, but your brain is telling it it can't. I wonder why that is? Why does Mike's brain keep telling Mike he can't do stuff?"
Michael makes a surprising discovery. He points his finger in the air and earnestly says, "My brain is trying to fool me!"
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