Yes, you can. Yes, I can.
Do you really want to do something?
Are you committed to practicing and putting the time and effort into making it happen?
Well, then yes, you can do it.
Notice, I didn’t say you will get rich at your new skill. Because, for sure, I haven’t figured out that part of the process.
I’ve had several yes, you can do it moments. I have participated in a physical fitness challenge for five years. When I started, I used soup cans for weights. And now, I have a set of weights that include three pounds, five pounds, eight pounds, and ten pounds. I would have never believed that possible. When I was in school, I struggled with physical education. It was my least favorite class. I was much smaller than my classmates, and my gross motor skills were delayed. I didn’t start walking until I was two and a half years old. My eye-hand coordination was poor. And all of that was made worse by the fact that I struggled to understand verbal directions that were spoken. But shouted was even worse, and with whistles going off? The hyperacusis that I didn’t know I had went into overdrive. I jumped out of the way of softballs because I thought they were closer than they actually were. I had gym teachers who told me, “You can’t do this.” “You can’t do that.”
And I hated gym.
Until the pandemic, and then, I just impulsively joined a physical fitness challenge.
And I discovered that I am strong, that I have good balance, and that I can run and dance and lift weights.
Always tell kids, yes, you can, even when they’re struggling. Maybe especially when they’re struggling. They need the affirmation.
I learned that, if the usual path, is blocked, find another. Which I did with my physical fitness project. I worked at my own pace and let my body tell me what it needed.
The other yes, you can moment came today. I am now on day sixty-six of a 100-day art challenge. The idea is to do some art every day for 100 days. Today, I painted a miniature canvas with a little floral theme. And I felt really happy about it. Happy about how I was mixing the colors, happy about my color choices, happy about the composition. Happy about the fact that I had had sixty-five days of the challenge and more days than that of practice. Happy that creativity is part of my life. I remember a time when I believed, ‘No, I can’t.”
I have no talent, I thought.
So, I took an art class while talentless.
I said to myself, “Self, you have no talent. Your pictures are going to be atrocious. So, don’t worry about it. Have fun with the process. If the picture turns out not to be a complete disaster, that’s great. If not, at least, you’ve had fun.”
And the pictures were far better than I thought they would be. I was told later, it was because I had no expectations. Which meant that I put no pressure on myself. I was happy drawing. The process was enough. And I still believe that. It’s a part of the journey being greater than the destination.
Good for you, Alice. You’re right on. You can do anything you want. Practice makes for better. I’m not athletic either and hated sports. Couldn’t swim or ride a bike. They became my most wants to do later. I can do both now but learning as an adult, I don’t excel or feel confident. But I’m ok with just being able to do them.
Thank you, Lily. Being able to swim and ride a bike are great things, and it’s more than okay not to excel. I can swim, and I learned that as a kid, but I never did excel. Being in the water does make me happy, and I enjoy swimming, for sure.
The art challenge sounds fun but I wish I had the free time. I just need to make time to say yes.
The great thing about the art challenge is that you can still do it, even if you don’t have much free time. You don’t need to devote more than 10 to 15 minutes per day. If you have more time to devote to it, that’s good, but if not, then you’re encouraged to do what you can. It is a worldwide thing that happens annually worldwide.
Alice, wow! How powerful! I have noticed you expanding, in the 10ish years since we met in this challenge. When we met, you were walking and hiking and taking beautiful nature photos. At some point, you got a job with a local newspaper and seemed to do more writing. Then painting, then writing a remarkable narrative story of Bearnacle Bear. How delightful to read of your changes in philosophy as you have moved along in life! Is it fair to say now that you are the happiest you have ever been? Congratulations on overcoming each challenge of the past and turning each into a stepping stone under your feet! You are awesome!
Kebba, your insights are always so amazing to me. And yes, I think that I feel happier and more confident than I have in the past. I am grateful for these challenges for helping me to learn how to express myself in writing. As a journalist, I always write about other people’s experiences, and I am expected to do so in an objective tone. Writing personal essays and opening myself up was something that I wasn’t ready to do because I actually was too shy.
So what can I say but thank you, thank you, thank you. I am so grateful to you, and I am always amazed by the friendships that I have made through these blogging challenges.