Give Yourself Two Stars and a Wish

And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me.  I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words will not believe me--that I am; and he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me . . . I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world.  Ether 4:12

 

Our Relief Society president shared a great idea she uses at the school where she teaches.  The children evaluate their writing and are told to give themselves two stars and a wish for each assignment.  They choose two things they did well and choose something they wish they could have done better.  They set a goal for how they can improve the "wish" item.  This keeps the children focused on their strengths before tackling the area in which they need improvement.

Notice the children do not choose more than two items for the positives, even though they may see many good things as they search for their stars.  They also may see many mistakes, but they only have to choose one item in which to improve.  In this way, they are not overwhelmed with negatives, but are able to tackle one thing at a time without feeling like a failure.

Perhaps we can do the same in our everyday lives.  Each day, trying choosing two stars and a wish.  Progress will be made without becoming discouraged.

In this flower photo, you will notice there is a small area needing improvement.  Overall, it is bright and beautiful.  The little shaded area does not make the snapshot of this flower a failure.  The flower can still be enjoyed.  I give myself one star for composition and one star for contrast, and a wish that next time I'll position the camera for maximum illumination of the whole subject.