when 'i think' becomes 'i can'

The Man Who Thinks He Can

If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don’t!
If you’d like to win, but think you can’t,
It’s almost a cinch that you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow’s will;
It’s all in the state of mind!

If you think you’re outclassed, you are;
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself
Before you can win the prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go
To the strongest or fastest man;
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can!

- Walter D. Wintle

a few years ago, i decided to test my physical boundaries.  'i think i can run a 5k', became 'i can run a 5k'.  then onto a 10k, half-marathon and eventually a full-marathon.  at each stage, i thought that i could go further.  wasn't 100% certain that i could, but kept pushing forward.  now i have set my sights on vegas and/or kona to compete in the ironman world championships.  i know, quite a jump from 5k, but you have to set your sights high.

we are all striving for something. i am on here explaining my journey to become an ironman.  but it can be anything; new job, college degree, better parent, ect., this list can go on forever.  and each journey starts out with an 'i think'.  normally for me, my 'i think's' starts quickly out of the gate.  but eventually, you hit that rough patch.  you lose sight of your objective and start focusing on the negatives.  

'i don't know if i can do this', 

'this is too hard', 

'what was i thinking'  

now its time to search deep within and find a way to get back on track.  this is the part that separates those who can and those who can't.  you can either brush the dirt off and go again or become someone who claims that it can't be done.  

there have been countless times where i wanted to call someone to come pick me up because i thought i was exhausted, wanting the session to be over.  but i kept putting one foot in front of the other, moving forward.  most of the time, i finished stronger than i could have imagined.  other times, i'm crawling up my front porch, but i made it back. (wonder what my neighbors think when they see that?)  and as i sit catching my breath, i start planning my next session that will be harder than this one.

the greatest of athletes, the smartest of smart people and the most driven people all hit the rough patch.  they are faced with the same questions and negativity.  but we know them and forced to learn about them because they turned 'i think' into 'i can'.  they continued pushing forward to meet their goals and aspirations.  keep pushing, continue trying and never forfeit your faith.  turn 'i think' into 'i can' everyday!

-johnny