Lesson 1 Believe That You Can Do Better
The Magic of Believing That You Can Grow
Think of an ordinary boy who likes playing sports ____ you and your friends.
One day, as he returns from school, his ____ and dad are waiting outside and pointing at the garage.
His mom smiles and says, “We ____ a surprise for you.”
When his dad pulls the garage door open, there is a table-tennis table ____
The boy is ____ He recently joined the school’s table-tennis club and wanted to practice more.
He rushes to ____ other side of the net and challenges his dad to a match.
Let’s pause the story here. The boy now ____ a big choice.
He could choose to challenge himself to grow and face difficulties with endurance and ____
Or he could avoid new and challenging experiences and choose an easy, familiar ____
The Boy Who Chooses an Easy and Familiar Path
Let’s start with the path of ____
The boy ____ for his dad and concentrates hard.
When the ball comes flying across the ____ rapidly, he misses it completely.
He puts his hands on ____ knees and sighs.
“Never mind,” says ____ dad, “Try again. Practice makes perfect.”
When the boy serves the ball, it returns with ____ force, hitting and bruising his elbow.
The boy is not ____ much fun.
He sets the paddle on the table, ____ “I have had enough,” and leaves for his room.
His dad asks for another game the next week, but the boy still has some pain in ____ elbow and just does not feel like taking up the challenge.
When his ____ suggests playing against his older brother, he turns down her suggestion because his brother is very tough.
“No, thanks,” sighs the boy. “He’s going to be better than ____ anyway.”
In his eyes, challenges are nothing more than obstacles, and he holds ____ the belief that they are best avoided.
The Boy Who Embraces the Challenge
Let’s rewind to ____ point when the boy first faces his dad across the net.
His first attempt does not go any better, and ____ still gets hit on the elbow on his second try.
However, he picks ____ the ball and tries again anyway.
An hour later, his dad still ____ winning easily, but the boy is learning from the experience.
Every now and then, he even surprises himself with a decent return, and a few times, he almost hits the ball past ____ dad.
The boy later on decides to challenge his ____ brother.
His brother is a better player, ____ the boy likes the idea that he can work even harder.
The boy learns from his mistakes and develops new ____ by practicing.
He practices hard after school, ____ weekends, and on holidays until he is able to join the regional team.
Eventually, he participates in the national championship and makes it all the ____ to the finals.
He finds his opponent to be skillful and smart, but he plays ____
He finds himself ____ match point, and the audience holds its breath.
He realizes how far he ____ come.
For years he has gotten up early to practice and has loved the challenge of improving his ____
He serves for the ____ and sneaks the ball past his opponent.
He punches the air in triumph. He has become truly ____
You may have the idea that this is simply a fictional tale.
However, this is ____ true story of Matthew Syed, a former member of the British national table-tennis team.
His tale shows how an ordinary ____ developed his passion for table tennis and eventually became the national champion.
Because he had a growth mindset, he tried ____ new, discovered what he truly desired, and then became tough when he faced a difficult task.
How ____ you? Do you see yourself in the story?
You, too, can ____ your own “table tennis.”
It might be a hobby, a career, or a ____ goal.
____ is important is that you embrace the challenge and never give up on what you want to achieve.
Go out there and achieve ____ goal!