Chicken Soup For The Teenage Soul
Failing Forward
In the famous Disney movie The Lion King, there was a very important scene that teaches us one of life’s most important lessons. The scene is between Simba and Rafeke, where Rafeke takes a stick and hits Simba right over the head!
Simba said, “Ouch! What that was for?” In a rather matter- of- fact way, Rafeke replies, “Don’t worry about it, it’s in the past.”
Trying to not worry about it, Simba rubbed his head and tells Rafeke, “But it hurts.”
Then Rafeke delivers a message for all of us when he says, “Sometimes the past does hurt, but you have two choices. You can either run from your past, or learn from it, it’s up to you.”
It always amazes me what you can learn from a kid’s movie! This is the most important chapter in this book to me. I can guarantee we all have something in common: mistakes and failures!
When I am in a gym or auditorium full of teenagers, we have so much fun. We sing, dance, chant, and make tons of noise. One day, when I was speaking at a local middleschool, my mother pointed out to me how quiet a room full of 700 teenagers got as soon as I started talking about my personal mistakes and failures! For many people, being willing to admit your mistakes and failures is tough, and for some it’s impossible. For me, it is the core of my message.
I will continue to share with teens that the only difference between us is the fact that I have made way more mistakes and experienced way more failures than you!
“Everybody fails, but only the MOJO Makers fail forward.” Travis Brown
We are all going to get hit in the head with some harsh life experience, just like Simba, but then what? Some people will just sit there, some people get up, but the may never learn from it. Some people will never let the past go and move on.
It is sad for me to get emails and Facebook messages from teenagers and their parents suggesting that they or their kids have lost hope, because they don’t believe they deserve success. At the root of the problem is usually a small lie they began to listen to: They don’t think they are good enough, or they think they have made too many mistakes or had too many failures to keep going.
I remember when I was a 6th grader. My mom and I lived in a local trailer park. It was rough, but it was home. I knew how hard my mom was working and I always knew she loved me, I just didn’t like the fact we were not rich like many of my friends. It bothered me and I often felt like I wasn’t good enough. When I finished my8th grade year, we moved, however, it wasn’t an upgrade. We lived in a local run-down motel. I can remember not wanting anybody to know where I lived. I was embarrassed. My mom dropped me off at school and I would stay with some friends every day until she got off her second job! She was working so hard to provide for me and she was doing all she could, however I still didn’t feel “good enough”.
I remember when I struggled with my two sets of friends. My white friends I went to school with, who are still some of my best friends to this day, would say “Travis, you act like us, but you don’t look like us”.
“Success is how high you bounce after you hit the bottom.” General George S. Patton
My black friends were cool too, and they would say, “You look like us, but you don’t talk and act like us.” Once again, I struggled to believe I was good enough for either group. My mom was white and my dad was black, but I just wanted to fit in and be accepted!
Why am I telling you this? Because I know most of you reading this have an experience of not being able to fit in. Maybe for you it is because of the clothes you wear, the music you listen to, the religion you practice, the sport you play (or don’t play), your parents, the color of your skin or the foreign language you speak. It could be many things, but the thing we all have in common is that we want to fit in and we want to feel like we are good enough. If you learn any one thing from this book I want you to know YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH just the way you are!
For some of you, those things are not your issues. Your issue is directly tied to the mistakes you have made or the failures you have experienced. You have begun to tell yourself that you don’t deserve success. I understand how easy it is to question yourself about this because I have done the same thing over and over. Remember, I have made more mistakes than you and more failures than you.
Have you ever heard of the book series Chicken Soup for the Soul? Did you know the author’s had their book idea turned down over 100 times before a publisher picked it up? They didn’t let failure stop them from succeeding.
That’s why today, there are 104 book titles translated in 50+ languages and have sold over 100 million copies.
Did you know that Donald Trump filed bankruptcy 3 times? Surely, he would just quit, right? He has continued to fight to get back on top of the business world, and today he is worth 1.6 billion dollars, one of the world’s richest men!
What about Tyra Banks? They told her there were no black super models. So she worked harder and smarter, and you know how that turned out. Today she has her own tv shows, America’s Next Top Model and The Tyra Show, not to mention all the movies she’s done!
I know these are all famous people that you have never met, and you are not sure if it can really happen for you. Let me just remind you of my story.
I remember not making the all-star team before my freshman year, but I didn’t let that keep me down. I went on to become the first athlete in my school’s history to play on the varsity football, basketball, and baseball teams, all four years, winning 12 varsity athletic awards. I also went on to get several scholarship offers and except a full scholarship to play football.
In college things weren’t always easy. I dropped out of college twice! It took me twice as long and I had to work twice as hard to achieve the same level of success as my friends who didn’t make my mistakes and graduated college. I worked my way up from the entry-level job at the pawn shop to becoming the president and CEO of my own company, which I later sold. Today, I am living my dream to travel all over the world speaking to companies, colleges and teenagers on how they too can be more successful!
I want you to know, that in spite of everything that has happened to you, if you don’t give in and don’t quit you can be successful!
When I close my speaking engagements, sometimes I use this illustration to make sure you really know and believe how valuable you really are: I will pull out a $100 bill.
Now we all know how much it is worth, right? $100. What happens if I take that $100 bill and crumple it up in my hand? Is it still worth the $100? Do you still want it if I give it to you? Sure!
What if I threw it on the ground? Still want it? What if I step on it? Still want it? What if I throw dirt on it? Still want it?
You are very similar to that $100 bill. Just because life got tough and “crushed” you, your friends weren’t there for you, your boyfriend or girlfriend broke up with you, it doesn’t change your value!
If your friends or enemies kicked you when you were down, if the “haters”
threw dirt on you, and posted comments on Facebook and MySpace, that didn’t change your value! All you have to do is pick yourself up and brush off those comments. Begin to work harder, a little smarter, and use those experiences to fail forward. Get one step closer to your goals! That is all it will take to get you from where you are today to where you want to be! I know you can be a MOJO MAKER! Take a stand and make a difference!
About the Author
America’s Youth & Teen Leadership Coach, Travis Brown has made a life out of helping people and organizations achieve their goals and dreams!
As a well-known speaker, Travis Brown has delivered over 1200+ hours of motivational presentations to companies and schools, nationwide!
Operation Teen MOJO has made a major impact on associations, schools and communities by connecting principals, teachers, athletic directors, and bring parents and students together to accomplish their common goal of building a successful leaders! See more on how to Build the Youth, Build the Future at www.teenleadershipspeaker.com & www.themojomindset.com
[Project] Chicken Soup For the Teenage Soul
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Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: The Game (An Adventure of Sharing, Friendship and Laughter) $18.71 Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: The Game is a veritable slumber party in a box. Participants in this delightful diversion gather cards in four categories: “Key Ingredients” may ask you to “list five foods that make you want to hurl.” Opponents compose their own list; match enough of your choices to those of other players, and you win the card. A “Secret Ingredients” card allows you five “yes or… |
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Chicken Soup for the Soul (The Game) with Bonus Game Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul $24.69 THIS IS A USED GAME. ALL PIECES ARE INCLUDED AND VERIFIED. BOX MAY HAVE SOME WEAR. BOX MAY HAVE TAPE ON IT THAT IF TAKEN OFF WOULD RUIN IT. PLEASE NOTE: THAT WE DO NOT SHIP OUR GAMES VIA PRIORITY MAIL OR INTERNATIONALLY. WE PROVIDE NEXT DAY SHIPPING WITH A DELIEVERY CONFIRMATION NUMBER. WE WILL EMAIL YOU ONCE YOUR ITEM HAS BEEN SHIPPED OUT…. |
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Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: The Real Deal- School … |