I love it when someone tells me “it can’t be done.” The argument usually goes a little something like people have tried before to do it and didn’t succeed so you’re wasting your time. It doesn’t seem to matter if they desire the change or not. They just are resigned to the fact that it can’t ever change. Never. Ever.
I’ve been told exactly that several times in recent memory. The first instance was when I tried to get my neighbors involved to obtain long-overdue road reconstruction and drainage relief for the neighborhood. Every single person I encountered said it would never happen. I was wasting my time. Did I know how many times they had already tried and failed? This was a decades old problem that no one was ever going to address. Never. Ever. Thankfully, enough people were willing to go along with my foolhardy notion that this time might be different. They didn’t necessarily believe me but they were willing to stand with me. It took nearly 5 years, but we persevered through a host of obstacles and emerged with an approved project.
During that same period, I also mounted an effort that most everyone thought was sheer lunacy. I opposed Wal-Mart and their plans to build a new super center in an inappropriate location. No one believed that the behemoth that was Wal-Mart could possibly be thwarted…but we prevailed there too…despite the declarations that it simply couldn’t be done.
In 2009 I waged an independent campaign against the major parties, with limited resources and without mud-slinging. That was also a pipe dream, no matter how noble, according to the experts. First they laughed at me. Then they tried to ignore me. Then they attacked me. Then I surprised them by winning the Republican primary. Then they worried about the independent ballot line I created too. The line they said was impossible to create. In the end, I came up a tad short on Election Day but still accomplished a great many “unachievable” goals along the way.
And still, I occasionally run into the person that says, “It can’t be done.” When I ask them why they think that the reply is something like, “because – it’s just the way it is and you’ll never be able to change that.” Incredible isn’t it? They just reluctantly throw up their hands and say oh well, that’s the way it is so I guess I have to accept it. I don’t accept it.
I had the great privilege of watching my oldest daughter obtain her MBA from Union College a few years ago. I can’t describe in words how proud of her I was that day. She worked hard. I bring this up because the commencement speaker struck a theme of perseverance I could personally relate to. Interestingly, his remarks contained a secret I learned myself long ago and perhaps is the reason for my own successes. Failure is a key component of success. Every time you fail, you actually get one step closer to your desired goal, because you learn something. You learn what doesn’t work. It sounds cliché, but it is the absolute truth. It’s all about perseverance. You don’t have to accept the status quo simply because it is. You can change it.
So please… tell me I can’t. It’s the biggest motivating force there is. The more I hear it, the more confident I become that I’ll eventually reach the goal. I won’t ever stop persevering. Never. Ever.
I’ve been told exactly that several times in recent memory. The first instance was when I tried to get my neighbors involved to obtain long-overdue road reconstruction and drainage relief for the neighborhood. Every single person I encountered said it would never happen. I was wasting my time. Did I know how many times they had already tried and failed? This was a decades old problem that no one was ever going to address. Never. Ever. Thankfully, enough people were willing to go along with my foolhardy notion that this time might be different. They didn’t necessarily believe me but they were willing to stand with me. It took nearly 5 years, but we persevered through a host of obstacles and emerged with an approved project.
During that same period, I also mounted an effort that most everyone thought was sheer lunacy. I opposed Wal-Mart and their plans to build a new super center in an inappropriate location. No one believed that the behemoth that was Wal-Mart could possibly be thwarted…but we prevailed there too…despite the declarations that it simply couldn’t be done.
In 2009 I waged an independent campaign against the major parties, with limited resources and without mud-slinging. That was also a pipe dream, no matter how noble, according to the experts. First they laughed at me. Then they tried to ignore me. Then they attacked me. Then I surprised them by winning the Republican primary. Then they worried about the independent ballot line I created too. The line they said was impossible to create. In the end, I came up a tad short on Election Day but still accomplished a great many “unachievable” goals along the way.
And still, I occasionally run into the person that says, “It can’t be done.” When I ask them why they think that the reply is something like, “because – it’s just the way it is and you’ll never be able to change that.” Incredible isn’t it? They just reluctantly throw up their hands and say oh well, that’s the way it is so I guess I have to accept it. I don’t accept it.
I had the great privilege of watching my oldest daughter obtain her MBA from Union College a few years ago. I can’t describe in words how proud of her I was that day. She worked hard. I bring this up because the commencement speaker struck a theme of perseverance I could personally relate to. Interestingly, his remarks contained a secret I learned myself long ago and perhaps is the reason for my own successes. Failure is a key component of success. Every time you fail, you actually get one step closer to your desired goal, because you learn something. You learn what doesn’t work. It sounds cliché, but it is the absolute truth. It’s all about perseverance. You don’t have to accept the status quo simply because it is. You can change it.
So please… tell me I can’t. It’s the biggest motivating force there is. The more I hear it, the more confident I become that I’ll eventually reach the goal. I won’t ever stop persevering. Never. Ever.
Recently read an article on the importance of failure in education, which is quite controversial. Many people believe we need to support children so much in education so that they never experience failure. I agree more with the point you made that failure drives success, through facilitating learning. You have to learn what not to do before you learn how to do something the right way.
ReplyDeleteI agree wholeheartedly, Anonymous! Thanks for commenting.
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