Opportunity

         Many years ago, I did a late-night radio talk program called “Solutions.”  Each week, my goal was to have a guest who would talk about a situation they had mastered in their lives and how they had accomplished it. One night following the show, my guest had left the studio only to find that his van would not start. Unaware of the problem, I closed the station. By the time I got outside it had snowed a foot in the three hours we were on the air. Mike had raised the hood of the van, undid the air cleaner and was patiently waiting to hold down the choke valve while someone cranked the engine. When I arrived, he joked with me, “About time you got here, the only thing I can’t do yet is be in two places at once. Turn the ignition key, please.” The engine came to life and Mike was away. The interesting part of all of this is that Mike has no arms. All of those tasks were done with his feet.  I wonder what might be possible if we saw ourselves in the same way Mike sees himself, as “differently able?” Our life is determined by how we see ourselves.  Not by how others see us. And yet, we tend to forego this incredible power and turn it over to those around us as if what they think and say were the truth. The truth is, we are whatever we want to be.  We can do anything we decide we want to do.  And while the encouragement and acknowledgements of others are wonderful gifts, they are not what determines what we are capable of.  We determine that.

         Brilliance resides in each of us.  It is not something that only a few of us are given.  Imagine if Mike saw himself as incapable.  Do you think he would be driving a car today?  The only special equipment on Mike’s car is a suicide knob on the steering wheel. One foot steers, the other handles the brake and accelerator. Do you think he would be fixing a car?  Do you think he would be appearing as a guest on a radio show called “Solutions,” highlighting individuals who have mastered situations in their lives?  Probably not.  Mike is a highly respected staff associate for a United States Senator. If you ever get to see him in his office, you will see him typing with his feet. Handshakes are by foot.

         Mastery of situations is about effort, determination, hard work and the experience that anything is possible.  It is also about the belief in oneself.  There may always be naysayers in our lives; it is up to us to determine if we wish to listen or not.  The choice to see ourselves as powerful, capable, and able is a gift we give to ourselves and to those around us.  Mike is a perfect example of that.

         Think of something you have decided is true about yourself.  Maybe you think you are incapable of finding a job you really love.  Maybe you believe that you are not a good cook.  Or perhaps you think you are not a very good painter.  Spend some time with one of these “truths” and see how much of the truth has been shaped by your own beliefs and experiences and how much of it has been shaped by others.  Decide if this truth works for you and if it does not, declare a new truth and set about making it happen. Regardless of what happens, you won’t have to wonder about what would have happened if you gave it your all.