Humpty Dumpty Has Something To Say!

Failure doesn't come from falling down. Failure comes from not getting up.

Do you know the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme? I'm sure you do! But, just in case you don't, this is how it goes:

​Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king's horses and all the king's men, couldn't put Humpty together again. 

Interestingly, 2,500 people were asked to name their favorite nursery rhyme, and at no surprise, Humpty Dumpty is among the top 10 all-time nursery rhymes. 

However, this nursery rhyme only highlights Humpty's great fall and creates a sense of pettiness toward him because no one was able to fix him.

My perspective on Humpty changed forever after reading After The Fall by Dan Santat. If you haven't read this book, go get it right now! This fantastic picture book is Humpty's story AFTER the fall...because he GOT UP again. His story is by far the most inspirational story I've ever read in children's fictional books. I was very emotional after reading it and I learned so much from it.

Six Lessons I Learned from Humpty Dumpty...After the Fall

Click image for Dan Santat's website

1. Embrace Failure 
2. Know Your Purpose
3. Enjoy the Moment
4. Set Small Goals
5. Celebrate Small Accomplishments
6. Determination

1. Embrace Failure
The first lesson we can learn from Humpty is to embrace failure. He understands that everyone knows about him because of his "great fall".  However, he doesn't define himself based on our perspective of him, but on what he believes of himself. He sees "the great fall" as an accident...and as an opportunity that changed his life. Can you say growth mindset?!?

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"There were some parts that couldn't be healed with bandages and glue."

FEAR - the feeling Humpty had to embrace after the fall - and he embraced it like a hero. He began taking small steps in order to face his biggest obstacle...heights!  

2. Know Your Purpose
​Humpty had a very clear picture of what his purpose was and who he was meant to be. He made sure he was always surrounded by what he was passionate about. His room décor shows what was in his heart and mind. And even though he knew that height was his weakness, he also understood that it was the very thing that was keeping him away from what he loved most - being where he belonged! 
Humpty walked by the wall every day! It was a daily reminder of his failure. But he wanted to be as close as possible to where he knew he was supposed to be. And every day he would think about climbing...perhaps planning his next steps...perhaps, thinking about what he would do once he gets back up where he belongs.  

On this page, I get the feeling that Humpty feels a great distance between where he is now and where he should be.
Don't we sometimes feel discouraged by the distance we feel where we are and our ultimate goal?!? 
I'm sure Humpty felt like giving up sometimes. I'm sure he felt like that distance will never narrow. But he kept going. 

Do you know where you belong?

​3. Enjoy the Moment
He never gave up. Not even while all he had was walking by the wall and watching the birds fly up high.
He settled on what he was able to do at the moment. He enjoyed the moment and made the best out of it. He actually thought, "it was better than nothing." As a matter fact, thinking about his future ignited in him an idea to get closer to his goal. 
You see, Humpty had his eyes fixed on his passion and goal. For him, it was fine to just do what he was capable of doing based on his abilities. Meanwhile, he was learning. Meanwhile, he was active. So this got me thinking, are my eyes fixed on my goals? Am I being active developing my skills to be who I am meant to be? Am I enjoying the moment and am I being faithful in the little bit I am asked to do right now? 

"Motivation gets you going and habit gets you there." - Zig Ziglar

4. Set Small Goals 
​Humpty thought of a way of getting just a little closer to his goal. He started making paper airplanes so at least that part of him would make it to the top of the wall. As small as this small step might seem, he had to work day after day - try after try - until he was happy with this project. 
You see, having the motivation isn't enough to reach our goals. If we learn anything from Humpty, is the determination to complete small goals. He knew that what he was working on will one day pay off in his favor. 
Humpty didn't let cuts and scratches impede with daily work. He was determined to take it one step at a time. 
Applying this to our lives...what are we allowing to discourage us from achieving our small goals? What excuses do we have to stop developing the skills needed to function where we belong?  
Don't forget that goals without actions become just a wish!  

A goal should scare you a little bit, and excite you A LOT. - Joe Vitale

5. Celebrate Small Accomplishments 
Accomplishing a small goal made Humpty happy. In fact, it gave him back the happiness he hadn't felt for a long time. Why? Simply because he understood the power of small goals. He celebrated the fact that he believed in himself. He knew what he was capable of. He knew it was close enough to his ultimate goal. 
It is so important for us to realize that it is OK to feel scared when drafting small goals. In fact, this is a good kind of fear! A fear of the unknown. However, it is exciting to know that reaching our goals will without a doubt give us a sense of accomplishment and a level of self-confidence that only we can give ourselves! 
Make sure to share your accomplishments with your loved ones. Use social media to share your accomplishments. Let your friends and family celebrate with you when you reach a goal. It's not about bragging...it's about the opportunity to inspire those who might need a little encouragement.

All progress is found outside your comfort zone. If you aren't uncomfortable, you are not growing. - Dave Burgess

6. Determination
Once again - Humpty is face-to-face with FEAR! The opportunity came for him to finally climb the wall and be where he belonged. He knew he had to climb that wall but he wasn't just afraid, he was TERRIFIED! At this very moment he has two choices: Walk away or step into an uncomfortable situation to finally be who he was meant to be. 

Humpty stepped forward!

What made him stay and encouraged him, you might ask? Well, he started thinking about how hard he had worked to accomplish his small goals. He made a choice because he was empowered by his small goals and the sense of accomplishment he celebrated before. 

"I didn't look up.
I didn't look down.
I just kept climbing.
One step at a time..." 

 He didn't have to see the whole staircase - All he had to do was to take the first step! Halfway up he realized he was no longer afraid! 
What a powerful lesson we learn from Humpty; Progress is found outside our comfort zone, and it is through our uncomfortableness that we grow and develop the skills we need to be efficient where we belong.  

What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals. - Henry David Thoreau

Making it to the top - where he always belonged, is where he became what he was meant to be! 
He made it so you and I can have a different perspective on him. He made it so that he can inspire us to reach our goals and celebrate where we belong. He made it so we can change our expectations of failures and those who fail. 
Humpty's grit and determinations are admirable! Let him be a hero to you and your students. 

Here is a great article I highly recommend:
 The Fear of Taking Risks Never Goes Away (Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway) 
For teaching lessons and ideas click here

Thank you for reading!