Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do – John Wooden

Let’s quickly run down the list: disarm a bomb, run a marathon, design a skyscraper or even stay on a skateboard for longer than maybe 5 seconds. In case you didn’t catch on, those are all things that I currently and unequivocally CANNOT do.

But if I’m being candid with my readers, I’ll tell you that it took me longer than I expected to come up with four random things that I know I cannot do right now. Is that because I’m some supremely-talented human being that excels in everything I do? Of course not. It’s simply because I choose to spend my day concentrating on that I can or want to do instead of dwelling on things that I have yet to accomplish.

There are two lessons to be learned when absorbing this quote from the great John Wooden. First, is the recognition of the fact that just because you haven’t done something up to this point in your life does not mean that you cannot do it. That’s why I made sure to use “currently” when detailing the activities that I am incapable of doing: I’ve never tried to disarm a bomb. But I am confident that if I had been given the proper education, training and experience then I would excel in that given situation. So when you’re setting goals, don’t ever sell yourself short. Your dreams are only going to be as big as you let them be. The truth is, dreams and goals wouldn’t exist if we didn’t believe that we could accomplish something that we haven’t already. If you want something, go get it.

The other understanding that you can take from this quote is a simple yet meaningful phrase: control the controllables. When you step out onto the track only to see that it’s raining and the wind is billowing, remember that you came there with a plan to be the best. Nothing, whether you planned it or not, should alter your pursuit of a dream. Be in control of what you can do and leave the thoughts of what could hold you back in the dust.

Once you start believing in what you are capable of, you might find that things that you can’t do are harder to remember.

Previous Daily Driver Series – Super Bowl Edition

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