We've all been down in the dumps,
experienced what it's like to be small and insignificant, and
the last thing you feel capable of doing is facing the
giants in your life. If you've never known or never
encountered any of these emotions on facing the giant
odds of life, you're either in denial, criminally lucky, or
just a plain old freak of nature. By 'facing the giants,'
I mean the myriad difficulties and sufferings you must overcome
in order to get where you want to be.
There is a video of the same
name on youtube.com/watch?v=-vB59PkB0eQ, showing a high school
football coach motivating his less than enthusiastic star player
to give his very best and go all the way.
Brock, the quarterback, is made
to do the dreaded 'death crawl,' an intense workout where he
must crawl up the field with a teammate in tow, laying on his
back. The boy says he can go no farther than thirty yards, and
the coach does something rather unorthodox-he blindfolds his
player and insists that he can, in fact, do fifty. Brock reluctantly
complies, protesting the whole time, but the coach offers only
words of encouragement. "Don't quit! Keep going!"
he says, getting down on his hands and knees as well. And keep
going Brock does-all the way to the end zone.
Seeing the big picture is commendable.
Oftentimes, however, it can be just as overwhelming. Sometimes
it is a good idea to wear a blindfold and close your mind to
distraction and negativity.
Taking things little by little,
one yard at a time, allows you to focus more, to train your
attention on each detail and work on that detail alone. Every
minor achievement then adds up to one great triumph. Then you
will be able to reach the 30-yard line easily, even pass the
fifty, and before you know it, you've covered a hundred yards
and you'll find yourself at the other end of the field.
Banish the word 'can't' from
your vocabulary. Imagine how much more you can accomplish with
nothing to hold you back, with no fear or inhibitions to limit
you. Open yourself up to criticism and do not be daunted by
the prospect of failure. Failure is only harmful if you allow
it to be. Instead, take it in stride and learn from it. You
will find that failure, even more than success, has much wisdom
to impart.