“The Little Engine That Could” was my son’s favorite book when he was little. It is a story about a little engine who was carrying toys and treats to boys and girls on the other side of the mountain. And suddenly the engine broke down. It could not go any further. Several other engines came by, but they would not help the little engine carrying the toys and treats. Finally, a very small engine came by, she had never been over the mountain, but she thought about all the boys and girls who would not get their toys and treats unless she helped. So, she hooked up to the train of toys and treats and begin chugging along, saying “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.” And she did!
I thought about this story after my guest this week, Don Hurzeler, left us with the take-away of “I can do anything, and you can do anything, and your listeners can do anything.” He went on to say, “give anything a try, who cares if you fail, as long as it doesn’t kill you. If you fail, you can get up and try again.”
Try anything… who cares if you fail… “I think I can” is the motivation and the power that will give you the courage to try.
“I can do anything” made me think about starting Hey, Boomer and now co-hosting The Caregivers Bakery, during a pandemic and after losing my job. I had never done a Facebook Live or a podcast. But I felt that I had something to say and I wanted to provide motivation for others that might be feeling stuck.
It made me think about several of my friends, Ann Holland, Amy Buttell and Don Hurzeler who have used this time during the pandemic to write books. It made me think of all the scientists who worked so fervently to develop a vaccine for Covid-19, when no one believed it could be done in such a short time frame.
It also made me think about the teachers who have learned how to teach using virtual technology, and the manufacturers who shifted to make masks and PPE’s.
It made me think about my cohort peers in The Fearless Leader program who are working on growing themselves and their businesses so they will emerge stronger from this strange year we are just coming out of.
“I can do anything” does not mean I am going to become an NFL quarterback or the commander of a submarine. I don’t want to do those things so they would not be on my list of doing anything. What it does mean is that I can do anything I am passionate about, anything I commit myself to, anything “I think I can.”
It may take some time to achieve what I want to do. I may be afraid. I may not know how. That is when I reach out to my mentors and my supporters, take a deep breath and take a step forward.
What are you committed to or passionate about? You can do it! What are you willing to try?
Great article, Wendy. Life is short and there’s no good argument for not doing the things your passion calls you to do. Fear is not a life strategy.
Thanks Wendy. I have to commend you on your accomplishments and going into the unknown to create this blog and provide the podcast too. I agree, what we think about, we bring about. And believing we can do something even if afraid, keeps us moving towards it one step at a time. I have on my cell phone background saved from a post I saw that says, I CAN, I WILL, as a constant reminder. Sometimes, we need to coax ourselves to do hard things. I also have a pillow that says, You Got this.
Once again, Wendy, you have so eloquently brought us to think positively – no matter what our situation might be. When I moan to my husband, Joe, that I can’t do all that is on my plate (caring for him, co-hosting The Caregiver’s Bakery with you ((could NOT do this without you)) now taking on working with a group of women at a senior living facility), I shall now pull myself up and know that I can, indeed, do whatever I set out to accomplish. Thank you.
I continue to be inspired by your program guests and you, Wendy! Look how far you’ve come in such a short time! One of my closest friends took drawing classes at the Denver Botanical Gardens some years ago. That morphed into watercolors and now acrylics and oils. She started by drawing plants and then still life. She recently moved to Florida and has been painting landscapes and seascapes. She is so good that she is looking at being represented by a gallery. It’s been so much fun to see what she has accomplished as an older adult. Does your brain age? I don’t think so.