7. Life is Full of Hard Knocks JUST THE FACTS: Fang sa part of ie. Infact, accounts for many, many successes for without falling, success is almost impossible, Learning baw to Bounce back fom Faltuee& not always easy, but Ie enecessary. Enthusiasm for goa attainment is a necessary characteristic for suecess. This activity ‘helps participants understand that failure isnot something to fear and in fact often a necessary step on the path to sucess 20 Minutes Materials © betty Fa oF 70 “initeboard or fp chart with markers or blackboarl Optional: Paper and colored pencils for drawing Optional: Envelopes Directions Write the following statement large enough so ll can see and read aloud}: THE ROAD TO SUCCESS 15 PAVED WITH FAILURE. Divide the larger group into smaller groups. Ask each group to discuss the statement and at they think it means. Alternatively, ask individual participants to daw a picture of ‘at this statement means ta them. Ask each group to share their feedback and ‘encourage other participants to comment or expand onthe responses Decide whether you will use Activity Ta or Te (Successor Faltre), based on the make up of your group + Option 1: Activity 7a was developed for discussion, though it could certainly be adapted to include a Word bank or lst of words from which to choose. Option 2: Activity 7b provides materials that can be copied, et out, and placed In separate envelopes tobe used as an independent or small group matching exercise + Option 3: Alternatively, you might choose ta have 10 large pieces of paper placed around the rom, each with ane of the 1D descriptions written oni. Sentence strips or note cards could then have each ofthe 10 famous people writen. Participants ‘an take turns matching the famous person with ther famous failure, an, thus, thelr eventual success, NOTE: Participants may benefit from having pictures f each ofthe famous people on {he indvidvel cards (tong withthe names). You can use an Internet Search engine Ce Find pictures ofeach famous person.ke 66 Conclusion Discuss with participants different ways peaple might deal with failure. Piapint how aple might det with fare cferently i different environments such a5 at home at Sebool, or at work. Be certain to wrap up the activity ina positive way, focusing on the fact that without making mistakes, we would never succeed. Ask, “What do each of the people we discussed taday have common?” Answer: ‘They refused to qui Further discussion questions include: Would you have given up if you lost 8 elections? ‘What if you wrote a book and 23 diferent publishers rejected it? What if just one publisher rejected it? What would you have done? What might the wort be ike today if “Thomas Eeon had given up? Journaling Activity ‘Think of atime when you experienced a persanal falar, What was the failure? How di this failure help you to become a better person, make better decisions, or succeed in a ‘way you hadn't imagined? Do you belive that failure is important? Why or why not? Extension Activity Hf youhave tenet resource, check cut some af the YouTube videos on “Famous Falls." Simpy type “famous falares* nto the seach br to fin ess, Have students research addtional Tamous failures" and work n teams to create a ‘YouTube video showcasing one oftheir own Failures that ultimately had a postive effect ‘Another suggestion would be to use te information provided in this activity (famous people's successes and flares) and have mall groups work together to create a similar same or activity appropriate for younger child, This could thea be shared witha local elementary schooANSWERS: 1. Abraham Lincoln was defeated in eight iferent elections. Yet he persisted and succeeded in becoming the 16th, and one ofthe mast respected, presidents ofthe United States. 2. Wale Disney was tald he had no talent and fired from a newspaper jo. He wound up doing volunteer work fo a church n an old run down garage. One day he decided to sketch one of the many mice that were running through the garage. This mause Became the Famous nickey Mouse.” 3. Twenty-three diferent publishers rejected Dr. Seuss's ist book, while the 2éth accepted and sald 6 milion copies of i. 4. Elvis Presley was fre after his first performance atthe Grand Ole Opry. The manager tole him, “You ain't going nowhere, son. You aught to go back to deving truck.” He went on to buecome one of the most famous American singers of the Z0th century 5. Whoopi Goldberg dropped out of highschool, was on welfare and worked asa bricklayer, bank teller, and licensed casmeticin. After araduatng from Beauty College, she tock a job ata mortuary fixing the hair of and applying make-up to the orases 6 44K, Rowling, author ofthe Hary Potter series, ved on welfare for years, in an apartment Infested with mice, and was rejected by 12 publishers before going onto fame and fortune 7. Michael Jordan was the athlete who wa cut from the varsity basketball team in his sophomore year of high school Anary and embarassed, he began to get up early each ‘morning to practice with the junior vrsty coach. Eventually he not only made the varsity team, but also became one of the most popular athletes inthe world, Michael Jordan i quoted assaying, “Ihave missed more than 9,000 shots in my caret. have lost almost 300 ames. On 26 occasions | have been entrusted to take the game winning shot, and I mised, have falled over and over and over agin in my tife. An that fs why I succeed." 8, Thomas Edison was the inventor who Was Kicked out of school. Falling this, he was homeschooled by his mather. It took him ever 700 tries before he got the flament right for the tight bulb, Eason s quoted assaying: “Ihave not failed seven hundre times. thave not falled once. Ihave succeeded in proving that those seven hundred ways will not work. When 1 have etiminated the ways that will nt work, I wl find the way that wil work.” 9. ark Zuckerberg dropped out of Harvard Unversity. He went onto become the youngest ritionair (at the age of 26} and isthe CED of Facebook 10, Harland David Sanders (better knovn as Colonel Sanders) had his fied chicken recipe rejected by mare than 1,000 restaurant owners before Xt was accepted by ane, Today, people stil ea tat KFS across the wort