You Can Do It....No Matter What!

When I was in the first grade I had the best teacher in the world.  Her name was Mrs. Mecina and she had a great passion for her career.  One day we had a parent teacher conference where Mrs. Mecina mentioned a concern about my ability to hear.  My parents, having noticed this as well, took me to have my hearing checked.  I failed miserably.  I wasn't a candidate for hearing aids and in fact, I had a special kind of hearing loss, that could thankfully, be reversed.  What had happened was, that I had earwax built up behind my eardrum that prevented the sound from registering across it. 

 Unfortunately, the only way to reverse it was with surgery.  So at the age of 6, I went in for my first ear operation.  After the surgery, I couldn't get my ears wet, and I had to have a daily dose of ear drops, several times a day.  But it was worth it.

One of my family's favorite activities is swimming.  We love going and relaxing in the hot tub, chilling at the water park, and even swimming laps.  However, I wasn't able to get my ears wet, so my parents bought me this awesome mantaray.  It was legit.  Now I'm not blaming my parents or my super cool mantaray, or even my surgery, but I didn't learn how to swim until I was 9 years old.
So in the summer of 2005, I decided that I had to join the recreational swim team.  The problem was, I didn't know how to swim because of the aforementioned events. But, I was really adamant that I join the swim team.  So my Mom took me to tryouts.  All you had to do was swim 25 yards, which is the length of a lap pool.  And I knew I could do it.  So I jumped in and I started swimming, and then I started drowning, and the coach pulled me out of the pool and I started crying and the coach started talking to me.  Coach Nancy was her name.  She told me that if I worked really hard and practiced and came back the next Saturday she would let me tryout again.  So I got really excited.  During that week, my Mom took me to In-Shape Fitness which had a pool.  And she tried to teach me how to swim. I thought I had it.  I was so confident.  I knew I could do it.  So I went back the next Saturday.  And I made it a little farther than last time.  But I didn’t swim the whole length, and the coach then suggested swim camp.  So my Mom signed me up for swim camp.  At the end of swim camp (which lasted a week) I tried out again.  And I swam maybe half the pool.  And I was crushed.  Think of all your hopes and dreams dashed to pieces.  And the coach pulled me aside again and told me to keep working and to come back on Wednesday night.  So I did.  And I still didn’t make it.  But the coach never lost faith in me.  And after a total of 6 tryouts, I made the swim team.  I thought it was THE BEST day of my life.  I started swimming and I fell in love.  

I continued to swim until the end of my high school career. Even now, I teach swim lessons at a local rec center. That one tiny decision to join the swim team changed my life. Every decision can make or create opportunities in the future.

No matter who you are or what your circumstance is, you can do it! I once heard of a boy who was paralyzed from the waist down. The doctors told him he would never walk again. Through a lot of physical therapy, and a TON of practice, he now walks with crutches. He did it! When everyone else didn't believe, he did!

Believing in yourself and having confidence is one of the keys to success. The other key is hard work. You can accomplish your goal! You just have to work hard and know that you can do it.

Believe In Yourself.  You Can Do It!  No Matter What!