Do you remember how you learned to walk when you were a toddler? I believe no one could ever remember how one learned to walk when one was a toddler. I couldn’t recall anything even if I tried to think hard. According to an article in American Baby Magazine, February 2000, p.36 entitled Total Recall, a baby’s long term memory can be for as long as twenty-four hours at six weeks old and up to four months time at sixteen months old. Perhaps that explained why I couldn’t remember anything which happened before the age of 4. Anything before appeared like a piece of blank paper – the details, which could only be filled by the memories of my loved ones who have watched me grow.
The inability to remember how one learned to walk could be the key reason why we would give up so readily when we faced with challenges in life sometimes. Should we remember the time when we were learning to walk, we would not be so ready to give up without a fight.
If you would allow me, please travelled back in time with me to about one year ago when my twin nephews were learning to walk. Even before they learned to walk, they have to learn to fall on their bums while making the effort to stand up; most of the time they fell when they tried to stand up. Sometimes they cried when they fell. The other times they giggled and laughed at themselves. At times, it took them a while to try to stand up again. However, it was never long before they would give it another shot at standing up.
There were times when we were around to catch them when they fell, to cheer them on and there were also times when they picked themselves up silently, without us watching. My point is, the numerous falls did not stop them from wanting to try again. Did they hurt when they fell? I have no idea how much it might hurt them. But their determination to try again shortly after they fell was what I observed.
Have you ever wonder, “If everyone has been through this stage, shouldn’t we have this same determination to rise up every time we fall too?” I believe we would have this determination – when we remember how we had once stood up every time we fell.
Of course it was not the end after learning to stand. They enthusiastically tried to take the first step. Did the first step end well? Just like everyone else, they fell down again on their first step. Did they try again? I think all is history now.
One may say, “they had all the encouragement and cheering when they were taking those steps.” I do not deny the fact that we were giving them a lot of encouragement and cheering along the way. However, they had to be the one who wanted to keep on trying even after endless falls. They weren’t too bothered by people laughing or teasing them or no one supporting them; they even learned to laugh at themselves. And I do believe that they never once doubted if they would ever learn to walk. They just kept on trying, trying, and trying. And eventually they learned to walk. Next? Running.
So, the next time when you are facing some challenges, do try to remember how you had once overcome all odds and learned to walk. As the saying goes, “Our greatest glory is not in never failing but in rising up every time we fail.”
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Photo credit: Paras Seth
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i love this post. this is a very good reminder, when i’m facing a lot of challenges i get too busy thinking how to go about it that i forget to go back to the basics. thanks for the reminder 😉
@ Maria, thank you. 🙂
We need to remind one another sometimes to always keep on going especially during tough times.
Great post! It doesn’t matter how much cheering or help one gets — you have to do the hardest part yourself. No one can do these things for you. As much as a parent would love their child to walk, they can only support their efforts. Determination is key, and if you keep at it, you will succeed!
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@ Brandie, it is always easier to have people cheering one on when the going gets tough. And yet most times one has to depend on onself to make the hardest move.
You know I have never really thought of struggle from that point of view before. You are right if you can learn to walk there are many other things that can be achieved in life.
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my little girl is at that stage when she’s learning to stand on her own. She can already stand and walk but she has to hold on to something.
babies are risk-takers and are very determined. they also want to mimic what the adults do; so i guess it helps them with their struggle to do things. it’s like, if everybody’s doing it, why can’t i?
very great insight BK!
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@ Renee, indeed we can achieve almost anything and overcome challenges in life if we can sometime look at things from different angle. I have to thank my nephews for teaching me that. 🙂
@ Daisy, little C is simply adorable. In a way babies are great risk-takers by nature. They did not think if they can, they just knew that they could and they did it. Of course things are not so simple as we grow up or is it we that make things ‘complicated?’ I have to thank my nephews for giving me this new insight. 🙂
Very cool post!! I’ve never really given up. Some think that’s a major flaw in me. Maybe they should remember learning to walk!!
My daughter was just cruising the furniture at a year old. The day after her birthday, she had surgery on her feet. She didn’t walk again until 18 months. However, she got up and walked across the room to me. She never fell and never crawled after that!!
What a wonderful article. If only…
The glory of being an infant is that they have not yet discovered the fear of failure, only the determination to succeed. For fear is our largest obstacle.
~Best Wishes~
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@ Elaine, sad to say that there are a lot of negative or pessimistic people in this world and naturally to them, you may be seen as weird. However, I understand that there are many reasons that lead to their negativities in life. Just wish that they too can remember how they learned to walk someday. How brave toddlers are right? For they never knew what failure is.
@ searching, I couldn’t agree with you more. Perhaps, it is a blessing that they know not what fear of failure is. Otherwise, it could be near impossible for an infant to learn to walk.
This is a very good way to look at things. Perhaps the feat of walking is like trying for something that you really want. Even if you fail, you know that you can still stand to do it again. Determination is very key and encouragement is always a plus.
Great post!
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@ Maria, I agree with you that determination is very key and it can make or break a person; encouragement is a bonus, it may not always be there. One has to depend on oneself when supports are not there.
@ Siddharth, thank you. 🙂
How very true and well written 🙂
Along the same lines, it makes me think about how much more patient I am with my toddler daughter trying new things than I am with myself in the same situation…
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I love this post!
Talk about memory, I can barely remember anything from childhood because of adulthood pushing ahead! You mentioned going back to the age of 3-4. Better than me because I muster up a complete blur! You are right though and I have so much patience for little ones when they are in the beginning stages! They are so cute!
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@ Becki, thank you. Sometimes we do have to be patient with ourselves too.
@ Charlala, it is hard to remember anything from childhood for most. I can only remember a few things but not in details. 🙂
Great post – My daughter started walking at 8 months old (way too soon for me!) Now at 1 she is zooming all around and climbing stuff too! I wrote a post awhile back on this when she first started – there’s a lot we can learn from kids learning to walk – to get back up when we fall down, etc. etc.
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@ Chelle, you are right, it was early. For my nephews, they didn’t start to walk until they were about 1 year plus. There is certainly a lot we can learn from toddlers learning to walk; how determine and persistent they are.
Thank you for posting this article. It inspires me to stand up again when I fall.
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@ Allure, you are most welcome. 🙂
We help to inspire one another along our ways in life.
recently i wrote a related post on this relating to the grown up version of facing challenges, Most easily give up after a few tries, instead of preserving to the final fruitful ending.
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@ Nick, if only they remember they were once unafraid of falling; that they picked themselves up every time they fell.
Very interesting. I suppose learning to walk is the perfect description for how we ought to face today’s challenges. And you’re right. It’s too bad we can’t remember that far back.
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@ Ben, if we remember how we have fearlessly learnt to walk and picking up ourselves from falls, then we ought to be in a better position to face today’s challenges.