Wednesday Motivational – What If You Could?

Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t do something.  They don’t know you as well as you know you.

If you believe you can do it, then go do it.

Let me tell you all a quick story…

When I first started High School my freshman year, we had to meet with the guidance counselor and discuss what we wanted to be when we grow up.  A Veterinarian, I replied.

He gave me a look, then looked down at his desk.  On his desk were copies of my report cards from Middle School.  He was looking over my grades.  Then he told me he didn’t think I could do it, but nicer.  He told me that I should probably think about it and choose something else and we could meet again in another week to discuss.

Now my grades in Middle School weren’t terrible, but they weren’t great either so I kinda get his point.

But I was devastated when I left his office.  Maybe he’s right, maybe I can’t do it?  Then I decided “Fuck That”.  A week later I went back.  He asks did I think of anything else I want to be?

I wanted say “HS Guidance Counselor?  That seems easy enough”.  These days I would have said it but I was shy back then believe or not and hadn’t yet become the asshole I am today.

Anywhoooo….

Nope.  I’m going to be a Veterinarian.  I want to start taking every science and math class you can fit me into.  He sighed and even laughed a little.  But he said OK.

First quarter goes by and my grades are good.  But not good enough.

Wow, maybe I can’t do this.  The doubts crept right back in.  But I wanted this so I had to figure it out.

It was my study habits.  They sucked.  So I decided to befriend a few kids who were smarter than me.  Well, not smarter exactly, but the school they came from (my HS funneled in three different Middle Schools) had taught them how to study properly.  Mine had not.

I watched them, made friends with them, and joined their study groups, something I had never even heard of before.  The difference was amazing.

Fast forward four years.  My freshman year in college.  I’m taking a second semester chemistry class.  Now this is one of those huge auditorium classes and the professor just happens to be an asshole and likes to weed folks out.  I am not exaggerating.  Almost half the students who take that class flunk it.  Spoiler Alert:  I flunked it.  And I don’t mean I just didn’t do as well as I wanted to do.  I mean I flunked it.

NC.  No Credit.  No Cookies.

Fuck, maybe I really can’t do it.

I went to see my academic advisor the next day and told him about it.  He hadn’t received end of semester grades yet of course.  Well, do you want to switch majors?

What????  No I don’t want to switch majors!!!  I want you to tell me how to fix this!!!!

He told me that if I retake the class in the summer, it will replace the no credit.  But if I flunk it again, it’s permanent.  Summer session starts in a week so let me know.

I can tell you right now, yes.

And I went and signed up for the class.  I saw on the list it would a different professor, and of course the class would be smaller this time.  But there would be no study groups.  I had to go to class every morning, then go to work.  I’d by flying solo on this one.

To make matters worse, I went into class that first morning and there is no new professor.  It’s the same asshole.  Aw crap, I think to myself.  But during that first class I decided I was going to go talk to him.  Turns out the other professor got sick so instead he had to teach the class.  And he’s obviously not at all happy about it.

Then he said, almost with jubilance…

“You must have been one of the ones I flunked last semester”.

“Yep, but I’m getting an A this time”,  I replied.

“No, you won’t”.

“Yes, I will”.

“We’ll see”.

“Yes, we will”, I finished and turned around and walked out.

Every day for a month and half I went to that class hating that man.  But I was determined.  Every night after work I’d lock myself in my room and study my ass off.  Almost literally not coming out except to eat and take a leak.

When grades were posted at the end of that summer session, I had to giggle.

I got the A.  I wanted to go rub it in his big fat stupid dumb face.

But I didn’t.  I had to get to work that day.  And he wouldn’t have cared anyway.

Seven long years later I walked across that stage smiling like an idiot when I received my Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine.

It would have never happened if I’d listened to others’ doubts.

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Don’t ever let anyone tell you can’t do something.  And if they do, use it as motivation.

And if it turns out you do fail?  Who cares?  Try to find a different way to get it done.

And if you do fail you’ll still have the satisfaction of knowing you took it on without fear and can hold your head up.  That’s not a bad deal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipVrphmIIkQ

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