It was an awesome sight: a young man getting into his van, quickly and agilely…but with no mobility in his two floppy legs! We watched, only aware that we’d been staring after he shut his door and using a hook of sorts, slid close the side door into which he’d just loaded his wheelchair. He did all this maneuvering with only the strength of his arms!
My son and I just looked at each other, eyes wide and mouths agape. We agreed that here was someone who made a complex task with many steps, look simple to perform despite his handicap. And here we are with full mobility…
This has me thinking about the ways in which we handicap ourselves with: “I can’t do it.” How often do we say we can’t do something? Courage–the courage to try and the courage to do. First it starts with the courage to admit that yes, something may present difficulty. What a humbling experience to watch someone accomplish their goal while challenged! It might give us pause to think about our own good fortune: “For the grace of God, there goes I…”
What limits might you impose on yourself based on that negative self-talk or tape playing over and over in your head? Now tell yourself this thought by Henry Ford: “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.”