The Boy Who Wanted to Be Perfect

Once upon a time, there was a boy named Sam. Sam was very smart, hardworking, and always did his best in everything. However, Sam had one problem—he wanted to be perfect in everything he did. He believed that if he made even one mistake, he would not be good enough.

At school, Sam always worked hard to get the highest grades. In sports, he practiced every day to be the fastest runner. When he helped his parents at home, he wanted everything to be spotless. If something didn’t go exactly right, Sam would feel upset and disappointed in himself.

One day, Sam had a big test at school. He studied for hours and knew almost everything, but during the test, he forgot one small answer. Even though he still got a good grade, Sam felt like he had failed.

That evening, Sam sat sadly in his room. His mother noticed and asked him, “What’s wrong, Sam?”

“I made a mistake on my test. I didn’t get everything perfect,” Sam said, looking down.

His mother smiled kindly and sat next to him. “Sam, do you know that nobody is perfect? Even the best athletes, teachers, and scientists make mistakes. It’s how we learn and grow. What matters is that you try your best and don’t give up.”

Sam thought about this for a moment. He realized that maybe trying to be perfect in every situation was making him more unhappy than proud.

A few days later, Sam was playing soccer with his friends. He missed a goal, and instead of getting upset, he remembered his mother’s words. He smiled and kept playing, enjoying the game more than before. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t perfect—he was having fun.

From that day on, Sam still worked hard, but he stopped being so hard on himself. He realized that it was okay to make mistakes, and that learning from them was more important than being perfect.

Moral of the story: It’s okay to make mistakes. Nobody is perfect, and mistakes help us learn and grow. Trying your best and being happy with your efforts is more important than being perfect all the time.