Kara and the Climb to Success
Kara was a kid just like you. She loved to run, jump, and play outside. One sunny day, Kara decided she wanted to become really good at jumping rope. She imagined herself jumping 100 times in a row without missing. “I’m going to do it!” she said excitedly.
So, Kara grabbed her jump rope and gave it a try. She counted out loud—“1, 2, 3…”—but at number 5, the rope got caught in her feet, and she tripped. “Oh no,” she said, feeling a little sad. But then she remembered something her teacher once said: “Every mistake helps you learn. Just try again!”
So Kara tried again the next day, and the next. Some days, she jumped 10 times in a row, and other days, she tripped at number 2. One day, she didn’t feel like jumping at all. She stayed inside and felt a little disappointed. But then she thought, “Would I be upset with a friend if they needed a break? No! I’d tell them it’s okay.”
Kara realized she needed to be kind to herself too. She said out loud, “It’s okay to rest. I’ll try again tomorrow.”
The next morning, she set a new goal—just to have fun and try her best. She jumped 8 times, then 12, then 15. “Wow!” she cheered. “I’m getting better!”
Kara's mom smiled and told her a story about a real Canadian hero, Terry Fox. “Terry wanted to run across Canada, but he didn’t do it all at once. He kept going, even when it was hard. He never gave up.”
Kara thought, “If Terry could do something that big by trying again and again, maybe I can too!”
She started to see every trip or mistake as part of the journey. Instead of saying, “I failed,” she began saying, “I’m learning!” And each day she got a little stronger, a little better—and a lot more confident.
Now it’s your turn!
Can you think of something you tried that didn’t go perfectly the first time?
What did you learn from it?
How can you be kind to yourself and try again like Kara did?
Remember: Success isn’t about being perfect. It’s about trying, learning, and never giving up. Just like Kara. Just like Terry. And just like YOU.
