Results are not instantaneous, they take time.
John was one of my students when I was teaching at a high school.
He was struggling in Chemistry. By struggling, I mean his grades weren’t good.
Students were given grades of A thru F, where A is the desired grade. C was a passing grade, and anything below C was considered a failing grade. Grades were given for tests, homework, projects, classwork etc.
John was getting Ds and Fs.
Whenever I recognize that a student of mine is struggling, I would reach out to the parents. The parents, the student, and I would meet and discuss the problem. We would also figure out and plan the path forward.
After I had the meeting with John and his parents, it was agreed that John would meet with me on selected days after school.
We would do several things but at the core, it was to give John an opportunity to work at a slower pace. He would be free to ask questions and get assistance from me with any concepts he had issues with.
John arrived on the required day and time (it was free after all) and he did what was asked of him.
At the end of our session, he was quite excited to take his next test.
But when the results came out for the test, John got a C.
He was devastated. He had wanted an A.
He thought it was pointless coming to any more afternoon classes and he told me as much.
According to him, the best thing for him to do was not bother wasting his time by focusing on Chemistry (he wanted to quit the subject, but at the school, you are not allowed to quit/drop a subject once you had selected it).
I patiently listened as he vented his frustrations, and when he was all done and somewhat calm, I asked him to come and see me after school later that day.
It’s a Process
When he came, I asked him to follow me outside.
I took him to a mango tree that had some mangoes on it.
I told him to look around at all the trees. I then asked him if he knew the importance of trees to us humans.
I’m not sure if it was because he was under the mango tree, but his immediate response was that trees give us food and provide shelter.
I agreed and I informed him that trees do even more than give us food and shelter.
I reminded him that one of the most important functions of trees is to provide humans with most of the oxygen we need to survive. Without trees and other plants, humans would struggle to exist.
Trees also help to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. This is because they absorb the carbon dioxide that we breathe out.
Now that he was in a contemplative state, I asked if he knew why the mango tree existed in the spot that it was.
He responded by saying that someone may have planted or thrown a seed there.
‘That’s true’ I replied. Then I asked ‘How long do you think it took for that seed to become the tree that it is today?
He said he wasn’t sure how long it took, but he felt it must have taken at least two years.
I agreed with him. I pointed out that for a mango seed to become the tree we see today, it was a process. I explained parts of the process to him.
Then I brought him back to his grades.
I asked him if it was realistic to believe that he could go from getting Ds and Fs to getting As after just a few classes with me.
He didn’t answer that question. He simply said ‘Ms Dacres, I will come back for more review classes with you.’
Appreciate The Process
How many of us are like John and want immediate results?
If we don’t achieve our goals and objectives quickly, we are ready to give up and quit. We forget that everything is a process. Most processes take time.
For example, I read an article where Tim Denning said he has been writing online for the past 9 years. If that’s the case, you cannot reasonably expect your day 300 to look the same as his 9 years’ worth of work and effort.
However, it should inspire you to know that achieving success is possible if you are willing to put in the time and effort. Then maybe your day 700 can start looking the way you want.
And while you are putting in the time and work to achieve your goal, you can appreciate the process you are going through and the person you are becoming in whatever endeavor you are pursuing.
So don’t give up on yourself before you have made any real progress.
“Some people quit even before the race started” — unknown
Now, I know someone will say that you must know when to quit.
While there are a lot of cases where that may be true, let me ask:
Can a seed quit becoming a tree?
Can a baby quit growing up?
As humans, we have been gifted with extraordinary reasoning abilities compared to every other creature on the planet. Unfortunately, some of us use that ability to find ways to not be who we are meant to be.
Don’t Quit On Yourself
Now, let’s wrap up John’s story.
At the end of his high school years, John scored a B in the nationwide external Chemistry examination.
When I heard from him, he was excited and elated. According to him, getting that B felt like an A to him.
‘’But Ms. Dacres, it’s not the B that makes me excited. I now know that with hard work and dedication, I can accomplish what I set my mind to, even if it takes a while.”
‘’Thanks, for everything Ms. Dacres. By the way, my mother wants to know if you would like some mangoes.’’
John’s story is a constant reminder for me to remain steadfast in the pursuit of my dreams. It’s my hope that it reminds you to not quit on yourself either.
© Jacquline Dacres 2023. All Rights Reserved