A true story...

An engaging conference speaker tells the story about a young boy who performed so poorly in school, both in his class work and his behavior, that he was becoming known as the bad kid.

One big problem was his apparent refusal to complete tasks in a timely manner. In fact, many called him lazy. Some said he was just plain disrespectful, and others decided he was stubborn and determined only to cause trouble. They joked that he even rode his bicycle so leisurely that it would take him forever to reach a destination! 

Nevertheless, one teacher saw things differently and would often say, "Well, I see something different in that kid. There is something about him – something more than the obvious.” Even though others disagreed, this teacher remained hopeful about the boy’s future.

One day the teacher had an idea. He recognized one of the boy's most intriguing strengths and decided to create a contest in which the boy could see himself in a different light. The teacher named the contest The Slowest Bicycle Race.

Sure enough, the boy entered the race and won the competition easily!  He rode his bicycle so slowly that onlookers said his bike "seemed not to be moving at all!"  Many praised his remarkable balance and wondered how he kept the bicycle from toppling over!

From that day forth, the boy’s reputation changed. No longer labeled lazy and stubborn, the contest winner began regarding himself differently. He went on to make a grand success of his life, often telling the story of the teacher who made all the difference in his life. 

The fun part of this almost unbelievable story is that when questioned about the story’s truthfulness, the speaker, an accomplished public school superintendent at the time, answered the doubting questioner in the positive.

“Yes,” he smiled, it's all true, and I should know, because you're looking at the winner of that creative bicycle race!  And today I work to make a difference for others - just like that teacher did for me."

Note: Resilience is the ability to adapt well to stress, adversity, trauma, or tragedy.  Interestingly, the single most common attribute among resilient adults, according to worldwide studies, is the childhood presence of at least one caring parent or encouraging adult who provided unconditional acceptance, regardless of personality, physical attractiveness, or intelligence.