"Thinking": Another Poem to Inspire

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"Thinking"

by Walter D. Wintle

If you think you are beaten, you are;

If you think you dare not, you don't.

If you'd like to win, but think you can't,

It's almost a cinch you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you're lost.

For out of the world we find

Success begins with a fellow's will -

It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you're outclassed, you are;

You've got to think high to rise;

You've got to be sure of yourself before

You can ever win a prize.

Life's battles don't always go

To the stronger or faster man;

But soon or late the man who wins,

Is the one who thinks he can.

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Right from the start of this poem, I think of how our modern society approaches deep health in the first four lines:

If you think you are beaten, you are;

If you think you dare not, you don't.

If you'd like to win, but think you can't,

It's almost a cinch you won't.

A large chunk of my days is spent in conversation with clients where they are telling me ALL THE THINGS they "CAN'T DO". They add all their reasons WHY they "can't". The conversations come down to the same question: "Do you TRY to do 'x'?" At which point one of two responses come to the forefront;

1) "I do, BUT..."

(The "but" is followed by some modification of how THEY have to do it vs how they think they "should" do it, even though "How do you do 'x'?" was NOT the question)

2) "No. I don't try."

(Well, that's probably a big part of why you feel you "can't". I don't play the piano - because I haven't tried to learn and practice yet. It doesn't mean "I can't")

Now, read this first four lines of Walter's poem again before you continue.

A client shared a story with me this week about a lady at her church who when she's on the floor playing with her grandkids, has to crawl over to the couch to help herself up. I love stories like this! Now, I don't know how this lady shared her story with my client (if she said it frustrated or with a "failure" mentality or simply matter of factly) but it lead me to think what a perfect example of how SILLY and RESTRICTIVE our own minds can be.

If this lady DID have a "I get on the floor BUT I have to crawl to the couch to get up" mentality, my first reply to her would be with a big "BUT" right back:

"BUT... your grandkids have their grandma on the floor playing with them!"

I guarantee any grandchild is NOT judging grandma or grandpa for "how they get up from the floor" in this case. They are WAY too excited that they were playing on the floor with them!!! Not to mention, they haven't LEARNED to judge others "HOW" or "WHY" yet. They're instinctive human innocence and ability to live in the moment is still VERY STRONG.

Sadly, TOO OFTEN the conversations are "I CAN'T do 'x'..." followed by a "defeatist" mindset that prevents ANY positive change from happening. Use the words "I can't" with ....

....blind folks who learn a musical instrument

....amputees who perform at high levels of sport

....people who have been told "you'll never walk again" and then learn to walk on their own

....anyone who's EVER invented something that HASN'T been invented yet

....an artist who paints by holding the brush in his/her feet because they have no arms

.... a 90-year old competing in 100m dash races or doing a marathon

Tell THEM that you "can't" get on the floor because "it's hard to do (right now)" or because something "feels heavy (right now)". They will MOST likely use Mr. Walter Wintle's words right back at you:

"If you think you are beaten, you are"