>Whether You Believe You Can or Believe You Can't

by | Nov 18, 2010 | Henry Ford | 1 comment

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As some of you know, I am a runner.  I started a few years ago and am now about to run my second marathon.


I was not destined to be a runner.  I was a swimmer growing up, we lived at the beach and I body surfed constantly, we had pools and I swam on a team when I was in elementary school.  I wasn’t good but I could swim.  Swimming was my thing.  

This is the beach where I was raised.



When I went away for my freshman year of college my roommate turned out to be a runner. A crazy, long distance runner.   I didn’t have one iota of interest in running.  I was not a runner. I couldn’t do that, even if I wanted to.


When I went to my next college (I went to many) I had a roommate who was a runner (and a cocaine fiend).  I had not one iota of interest in running. I was not a runner.  I couldn’t do that, even if I wanted to.


When I went to my next college I saw a lot of runners (the college was on the beach).  I was not a runner. I couldn’t do that, even if I wanted to.


Then for the next 20 some odd years I continued to be not a runner.


Then I got a divorce and went to the gym.  I lost weight, got fit.  I saw people run on the track.  I tried once or twice.  But I was still not a runner.  


Then I had an office mate at work who wanted to get some exercise, she was a runner.  I joined her, for the first 100 yards. Then I walked. I was not a runner, after all.  I ran a longer distance a few times, I got a little better. But I still wasn’t a runner.

My first running buddies, leaving me in the dust.



Then my wife thought it would be fun for the family to join a running training group.  It was starting very slow; run 1 minute, walk 3.  I could do that since it wasn’t really running, just jogging a little bit.  I knew I wouldn’t be able to run any distance, and I was right.


Then the training led to a race. A 3.1 mile race, a 5k.  That is running.  But since I couldn’t do it, even if I wanted to, one of two things was no longer true.  My belief about what I could do had changed, or…well, there was no second thing.  My belief changed.  I could run.  I did run.  I ran that race.


Then I trained some more and ran twice that distance.  Then I ran 3 times that distance.  Then I ran 4+ times that distance.  Then I ran 8.4517 times that distance and I had run a marathon, 26.2 miles.

Some of my running buddies and myself.

It took me 2 years.  I am now a runner.  I used to believe I couldn’t and I didn’t.  Now I believe I can and I do.  What changed?  Believing I could do it.


Who do you believe you are?  Who do you believe you are not?  The not is what is holding you back, not the are.  Untie that NOT.
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Drawing and photos by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily


Quote by Henry Ford, 1863-1947, American business man, inventor of the modern assembly line, founder of Ford Motor Company.


You Can’t Learn in School – Back To School #1

by | Aug 16, 2010 | Back to School - 2010, Henry Ford | 0 comments

 

In honor of all the kids going back to school this month it’s ‘Back To School’ week at The Napkin Dad Daily
Then again, where can you learn that?  Nowhere.  But what you can teach in school and home is how to deal with the fact that life is unpredictable.  Teaching young people how to adapt, think critically, and to expect and be aware of changes is a great gift you can give them.
 
Without that training kids become adults who will either avoid the reality of the unexpected life or freak out when they come across it. Either way it does them no favors to not train them in reality.
 
Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman
 
Quote by Henry Ford, 1863-1947, founder of Ford Motor Company.