Did you ever hear the story of the little engine that could? Many different versions and parodies of this tale have been written and produced, but the basic gist is that a big train's engine breaks down just before needing to pass over a mountain. He is in desperate need of someone to come pull him across, but the larger engines that are asked to come help him first will not comply. The backup plan is then to ask the infamous little engine to come do the job. Despite his size, the little engine arrives and successfully completes his mission, all the while repeating "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can." This simple story reveals much about the power of confidence and willingness and has solid potential to speak to people of all stages of life.
However, I think it can be hard for some adults to hear this story and not scoff at it sometimes. In all honesty, we live in a pretty rough world. It's hard to think of overcoming something being as simple as just believing in yourself when that in itself can be a feat. Physical and/or mental health complications, financial security, and level of education are only a few of the countless factors that can play a part in tripping us up in pursuit of the goals we set, be it psychologically or literally obstructive. I am incredibly thankful to have been raised by really wonderful parents that support my pursuits with encouragement but also with sound rationality. I'm grateful to have been nurtured with this realistic mindset accompanied by a hopeful attitude because now that I'm an adult, those foundations still reside at the root of who I am and the way I see the world. When I center myself before approaching something new, I am able to process it with sensibility accompanied by a positive focus on potential, which creates a sort of healthy balance in my mind and grants me a certain level of liberation. Now, I most definitely do not always succeed at this. I am a nervous person, and if fear is involved it becomes really easy for me to shut down and come to the conclusion that there is no possible way I can do what it is that is instilling the fear. "I think I can" doesn't always turn into "I know I can." Sometimes it's not even possible to utter "I think I can" when I become entirely crippled by doubt, fear, or pressure.
As an assignment for class, we were to record ourselves telling a story and post it to our blogs. Parallel with the little engine, this is my story of a girl who couldn't even bring herself to say "I think I can" and discovered that she could. The video below will bring you to the recording on YouTube.
(P.S. If you are easily distracted like I am, I would recommend closing your eyes while you listen so that the webpage and your surroundings don't negatively impact the way you take in the audio. I wanted to just be able to post an audio file to remove that potential distraction, but my website wouldn't allow it. Rude.) (P.S.S. I loathe recordings of my voice and am fully aware that I'm far from expressive, so I sincerely apologize now for the monotony. I tried so hard, but no matter how many I-think-I-can's I say, no matter how many times I re-recorded this, I am apparently incapable of making my voice sound convincingly enthusiastic- even when I'm sincerely excited about something. *sigh*)
As always, thank you so much for taking time out of today's rotation on Earth's axis to come visit my blog. I am honored to have the attention of your eyes/ears/hearts/brains while you spend time here! I hope that something you read or heard today resonated with you and that it sticks with you as you venture through the rest of this week.
{Today's mind/heart/soul-healthy challenge: Think about your favorite dream you ever had. What aspect of it made it your favorite? Is there anything you can do today to interject a piece of the way that dream made you feel into your everyday routine? If you dreamt about having piña coladas on the beach with no thoughts of work, maybe that would look like getting some pineapple juice at the store after work some day this week and sitting with your feet in the pool while you enjoy it. Identify the source of your joy.}
*MAKE TODAY STORY-WORTHY.*