Embracing Failure as a Learning Opportunity
The other day I was watching an episode of “ Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” with my kids. I loved this program when I was little and am glad that it is still around for streaming for my children to enjoy. The reduced pace and calmness of the program is a welcome change from the bright, flashy, fast, and loud kid programs today. In today's media, arrogance and bullying are often celebrated…especially when they come from the main character. Insolence is treated as a virtue, not a flaw. Instead of guiding children, adults are portrayed as oppressive figures. And absolutely nothing bad ever happens that can’t be fixed in 5 minutes. This shift in storytelling shapes a new understanding of success and failure. That brings me to today’s topic: winning and losing. In this particular episode of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” his friend entered a baking competition. He tried his best and produced a nice cake. He wanted to win…really wanted it. In today’s shows he would’ve won because w...