Yes We Can

I remember during a visit to the Vatican, our tour guide proclaimed that Michelangelo saw a statue in every block of marble. Also, I remember reading a statement by Oliver Wendell Holmes asserting, “The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions.” Indeed, I remember my very old martial arts instructor whispering the Buddhist definition of suffering, “Clinging to that which changes.”

Time and time again, I recollect morsels of wisdom to which I should have paid more attention. I underestimated their importance and generative power. Was I too logical? Too pessimistic? Did I only deploy some of my senses? Was I too single-minded that I became myopic?

The field of education is replete with ordinary statements that house extraordinary meaning:

“Show, don’t tell”

“Beware of the monkey mind” (the critic in you)

“Think about the value of the rules, don’t just follow them”

“Do whatever it takes to see the world from a different angle”

and countless more.

It’s unreasonable to dredge all the past nuggets. It’s a forbidding expectation and there’s just not enough time. Is there something else I, or you, could do? Yes.

We can all go further than we think we can. We can all learn anything well if we choose to experience it. We can all change our thinking and understanding by simply remembering and applying the one truth than encompasses all others.

Be optimistic in everything you do or say. Optimism is the key indicator of success. Optimism will have a ripple effect on your performance and on those around you. No other saying or quality, if adopted, is more powerful and productive.