“I am only one,
But still I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But still I can do something;
And because I cannot do everything
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”
But still I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But still I can do something;
And because I cannot do everything
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”
- Edward Everett Hale
Many years ago a wise friend of mine, Charles Crim, gave me a piece of advice I have never forgotten. "Doc, all you can do is all you can do."
There are two lessons in that bit of truth. At the time I needed to know that there would always be more work to do than I would be able to get done. I would like to say that I instantly understood that I should give myself permission to go home at the end of the workday with things undone. I did not. It took me several years. If this was an article about productivity or planning we could spend some time talking about how important this truth is to understanding how to get things done. But, today I want to share the other lesson from that simple statement.
I can do something.
If you are struggling with how to lose that extra weight, or gain some muscle, or change the world, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the enormity of the challenge and not know what to do next. That soon leads to thinking you can't do anything and you are stuck where you are.
Don't you believe it.
When I was 367 pounds - grossly overweight - I knew I had to do something. I could start by eating sensibly. And I could start walking. I didn't know then what I know now about eating and exercising. What I did know is that I could start with what I could do. Cut back on the size of meals. Drink more water. Go for a walk.
It works!
This morning I weighed 203.6 pounds; in the last twenty months I have lost 163 pounds and built up some pretty good muscle mass. Even though I can't even remember the last time I saw those numbers on the scales - high school probably - but the two lessons from Charles' statement still guide me. There are days when I can't do everything I want, but I can do all that I can do.
And if you want to change the world while you are at it, take peek at this web site that gave me the idea for today's post.
“I am only one, But still I am one. I cannot do everything, But still I can do something; And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do… | Fulfill Your Life Purpose
Be sure to eat breakfast, and take Clif Bar with you.
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