I found it on a piece of paper, I don’t even know the source to give due credit. It has had me thinking ever since then……..
A noted research scientist likes to tell how he found his destiny at a very young age. As a small boy, he tried to get a container of milk from the refrigerator all by himself. He dropped it, and milk poured all over the floor.
His mother rushed into the kitchen, of course, but instead of scolding him, she decided to turn this minor disaster into anopportunity. “What a great mess!” she said. Since the damage had already been done, she encouraged her son to get on the floor and play in the puddles of milk. Then she moved on to the next step: responsibility for solving the problem. “Well, we’ve got to clean it up now,” she said. “What do you think would be the best way to do that?” He picked up the sponge, and they worked together to clean up the mess.
Then the mother looked to the future: “Let’s see if we can figure out a way for you to get a carton from the refrigerator without dropping it again.” She found an empty carton, filled it with water, and took it outside so they could experiment until the boy figured out a safe way to lift and carry it safely.
As and adult, the scientist credits his mother with teaching him not to be afraid of making mistakes. Isn’t that a better response than anger, punishment, blame or the host of other negative responses?
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. LEARN from those mistakes and develop a plan of what not to do in the future. AND if you make the mistake again…so what? It’s only spilled milk! Wipe it up and try again! You WILL figure it out!
…What lessons did I glean from this story? Don’t cry over spilled milk. In fact, if you are NOT spilling milk then you aren’t doing anything to even possibly build your business. GO SPILL YOUR MILK!
Betsy Winslow
BELIEVE
