A Good Example

I had one of the new students in the Adult Level 1 class approach me recently.   The question asked of me was, "Did you find everything really hard when you first started?".  I grinned and laughed and answered, "When I first started?!  I still find everything really hard!" 

I went on to advise this student that yes, everything was hard when I first started.  REALLY HARD.  I told them that when I first started I felt like I was basically flailing all over the place, completely uncoordinated and had no idea at all what I was doing.  But that I took the advice of Sifu Rybak, and just faked it until things started to come together.  I told this student not to worry about it too much and that they were doing great....to just keep at it and that slowly things would start to make more sense and there would be improvement.

I walked away from the encounter hoping that my answer helped a little....and that it maybe boosted their confidence.  Because I certainly remember that same feeling when I started!

It wasn't until today that something dawned on me.  That student approached me because they saw ME as an example!  I'm assuming they must have been watching me, or listening to my questions, at some point in class and their perspective was that whatever we had been working on, I found easy!  Which really isn't the case...I've just gotten better at faking it. 😉  In any event, it seems I'm not the new kid on the block anymore.  Just how I am watching and learning from the students in front of me...and just how they are my examples....I have become that to those following me.  

We are all examples to others, whether we've chosen to be or not.  What a powerful realization that I might be an example to someone else.  I can only hope I'll be a good one.