Over the past few weeks, so many people have told me they’re losing hope. That the divisiveness in our communities is just too big. That our leaders are ineffective and/or self-serving.
That they can’t bear to read or hear any more negative news. Then they wonder how I can keep going. The poem below is my personal inspiration.
By Edgar Albert Guest
Somebody said that it couldn’t be done
But he with a chuckle replied
That “maybe it couldn’t,” but he would be one
Who wouldn’t say so till he’d tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn’t be done, and he did it!
Somebody scoffed: “Oh, you’ll never do that;
At least no one ever has done it;”
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat
And the first thing we knew he’d begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn’t be done, and he did it.
There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure,
There are thousands to point out to you one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start in to sing as you tackle the thing
That “cannot be done,” and you’ll do it.
Yes, this is my inspiration — a poem I learned as a kid. It’s stuck with me all these years and motivated me as I've tackled other tough projects.
Sometimes people have called me bull-headed because of this mindset. Perhaps I am. (OK. I am.)
But the reality is we can’t complain or blame others for what’s happening if we’re not willing to address the challenges ourselves.
Seriously … pick something you care about and take some action today!