Stephen’s “This I Believe” speech
Why is it that people so readily dismiss the thought of something as being “impossible”? I believe that anything is possible. I believe that we all have the power to do what we want to do. We all have the power to overcome our handicaps, fulfill our dreams, and rise above adversity. It is only when we fill ourselves with doubt and let negative thoughts consume us that things may seem impossible.
If you want your dream to become a reality it is important to keep an optimistic mind set. Never say “I can’t,” but rather “I can”. Just like in the children’s book The Little Engine That Could, say to yourself “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…” Even though this is a children’s book it really has an important concept. Never doubt yourself and believe that you can do anything once you put your mind to it. Having confidence in yourself also goes along with being optimistic. Have you ever noticed that the cockiest kid on the team is usually the best player? Why is that? It’s because they have confidence, maybe too much confidence, but it still makes them that much better.
Now I’m not saying that just because you believe that you will become a billionaire, you will wake up the next morning in a mansion surrounded by hot super models fanning, massaging and feeding you grapes; but believing that you will become a billionaire is the first step. For example, if you were to say to yourself “There is no way I’ll ever become a billionaire!?” then immediately you stop thinking about the ridiculous subject and move on. However, if you say “You know, one day I will become a billionaire!” and really believe it then soon enough you will be coming up with ideas to become a successful moneymaker. Do you see the difference? The opposite is true. When you start to doubt yourself then you are really taking the first step in failure. You start coming up with excuses why you can’t do something. That’s too hard; I don’t have enough time or the resources. And we all do it; sometimes it’s difficult to break out of that kind of mind set.
Throughout history we have seen people accomplish tasks that others at that time thought we impossible. Imagine if the colonist in 1775 just gave in, and never fought for their freedom. Who would have thought that a tiny country inhabited mostly by farmers could take on the world’s strongest country at that time? Everyone thought that the Wright bothers were crazy for trying to make a “machine” that could fly as freely as a bird. Now, travel by flight is used by thousands of people everyday. Forty years ago no one would have thought that a man could walk on the moon; something which was only heard of in Science Fiction novels, was possible. Today it has become routine to send people into space. History has shown us time and time again, that the paradigm of what is possible can be changed.
Last August I traveled to Colorado with my uncle on a hiking trip. The trip lasted a weeklong; each day was a rigorous hike, climbing thousands of feet up into the mountains. This was something that I had trained for all summer long. The main hike of our trip was to summit Longs Peak. We started the hike four in the morning using headlamps as our only guide up the cold and dark trail. There came a point where there was no trail at all. We had to use these bulls eyes that were painted on rocks as a path. We wrapped around the mountain climbing over huge boulders and unstable rocks, always striving towards the next bulls eye. The last 100 yards or so from the peak was a place called the Homestretch. I climbed up the 45-degree slope of sheet rock, only using cracks and depressions as my foothold. About half way up I lost my grip and slipped down almost of the ledge of the mountain. Somehow, I got a hold of a small crack with my hands. Stupidly I looked over my shoulder and saw nothing but my legs dangling off the edge.
So, here I was, hanging on to dear life on some stupid mountain, on some stupid trip with my uncle. Emotionally and physically, I was drained. And, of course, I started to panic. The only thing I could think was that I was going to die. My arms loosing strength, were blazing hotter than the sun beating down on me. My legs felt like too weak to even stand. From head to toe, I was shaking trying to pull myself up. The more I struggled the more I panicked. And to be honest, I really wanted to cry. It was then that I realized that my negative thoughts were only hurting me. I told myself to try harder and harder. I kept repeating in my mind “I can do this”. I took a deep breathe in and visualized myself climbing to the top. I was not going to give up. My positive thoughts were like steroids to my tired muscles. I screamed out against the mountain as I was mustering all of my strength to push up. I wanted to live more than anything, nothing else mattered at that point. Somehow, with almost superhuman strength and a passion for life burning inside of me, I climbed to the top of the mountain. At the top, I looked down and saw where I had fell, and couldn’t believe that I had overcome what had just happened. But, I did. I climbed all 14,259-intimidating feat of Longs Peak.
It is my belief that you can do anything once you put your mind to it. And yes, although the idea that “anything is possible” may be in fact a cliché, it is something that I believe. Do I think it is possible for me to become the greatest guitarist of all time, be the strongest man on earth, the one who creates world peace, finds a cure for cancer, invents a machine to travel through time? Sure, why not? Who are you to tell me otherwise?
