SIMON SAYS or SIMON DOES?

I recently watched a couple of videos on YouTube about two puppies at the top of small six step staircases. The first one is of a puppy that the owner is trying to get to come down the stairs. She is calling the puppy to come down the stairs but the puppy keeps whining and looking at the stairs but will not make those steps to come down. There is a cat behind the puppy that keeps running behind the puppy playing with its tail and jumping over the puppy. The owner even goes so far to place a couple snacks on the stairs to distract the puppy. The puppy would only grab the snack that was close enough without having to go down the steps. This went on and on for a while and the puppy never went down the steps.

The second video I watched was about a puppy named Daisy. Daisy was at the top of the steps as well. Daisy did the same thing as the first puppy. She would whine and whimper and look down but never make those steps. In this second video, there was a larger dog named Simon. Simon walked up and down the steps to show Daisy how it was down. Daisy watched Simon do this, looked and even reached her paw down, but still was scared, whining and whimpering. Daisy retracted and walked back further from the top of the stairs and sat down whimpering even more. Simon goes up to where Daisy is and proceeds to be where she is in an effort to make her comfortable. Simon goes back down the steps and a miraculous thing happens. Daisy makes her way down one, then two, then three steps stopping right in the middle. She is whimpering and is still afraid. Simon goes up and grabs her with his teeth by the neck just soft enough to hold her. It was almost like Simon was saying, “Daisy, you are not going back up those stairs! You’re halfway there, now come down three more.” She steps again and before you know it, Daisy is down the last couple steps making her way down to the bottom. 

What were the similarities? Both staircases were six steps. Both of them were puppies. Both of them were afraid to step down. Both of them had support. What were the differences? The first puppy had one person in the background that talked a little to the puppy encouraging the puppy to come down the stairs. Daisy had two people in the background encouraging her and a larger, more experienced dog named Simon to show her that it can be done. The first puppy had a little support and was offered treats and would not come down. The second puppy had no treats but had support and an example named Simon to show her the way.

We all remember the old game as kids we used to play called “Simon Says.” They would say, “Simon says do this or that” and you would do whatever the person who was Simon says. The first puppy had a Simon that said and the second one had an actual Simon that DID IT!

There is so much truth to the phrase, “Talk is cheap.” It is really easy to hear somebody say things like, “You can make it. You can do it. Do this or do that.” I notice that God has even given me an edge with the kids I teach at school. When I tell them to do things, some of them will do it. However, I notice when I tell them little things about my life and how my story relates to theirs, they are quiet tuned in and eyes are glued to me. They are waiting to hear about something that will hit home for them.

What about you? Are you a Simon says or a Simon does? Are you going around barking at people telling them to make a step and do this or that? Or are you showing people how to do this or do that. Theodore Roosevelt was quoted saying, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Think about the examples you had in your life. Most of the time, you moved because you saw that it was possible through someone else. It’s time we stopped complaining about where we are and how bad it is. Instead look for other examples and find other people who made it through what you are going through and ask questions. Don’t struggle alone like the first puppy. You need to look around like Daisy and see all the support you have and look for your Simon that will show you how it can be done and gently grab you by the neck and not let you go. Every team has their cheerleaders or cheering devoted fans or supportive team mates that cheer them into victory. This is your time. Make a step and walk down those stairs. You will be so glad you did.