Doing The Turkey Trot

One Thanksgiving, my daughter Alexa thought it would be a fabulous idea to run a 10K fundraising race called the Turkey Trot. The proceeds provided meals for low-income families. I embraced the idea enthusiastically, and we both signed up. To ensure that I would not be the last turkey to finish the race, I started training daily. But after a couple of weeks, my bright self-image as a tireless young champion athlete began to fade a bit. My motivation began to lapse as I visualized the effort it was going to take.

Finally, I explained to my daughter that my schedule was so busy, perhaps we should delay our trot until the following year. Alexa, who was eleven at the time, gave me one of those reproachful daughter looks. “Dad,” she chided, “you’re focusing on the obstacles instead of the objective.”

Huh? That sounded familiar. I’d been telling audiences that for years! There I was, dwelling on the daunting task ahead, instead of the exultation of crossing the finish line with my darling daughter.

I’m not suggesting that you discount the effort or difficulties involved as you pursue your possibilities. Don’t kid yourself that an ambitious goal won’t be tough. That’s delusional thinking, and you’ll soon lose momentum. Acknowledge up-front how much work it’s going to be, and you’ll increase your possibilities instead of decreasing them. Anyone who makes it to the top (or to the finish line) understands the effort required to achieve desired possibilities.

A realistic assessment of the challenges ahead is not an adequate reason to abandon the race. Some people focus on the barriers they may face and abandon possibilities before they even begin. Those who make it—who achieve greatness, even—are those who decide to take the first step anyway. And then the next... and the next!

Of course, there will still be disappointment, difficulty, and discouragement. How do we counteract that? My friend Jeff Salz, an accomplished rock climber, tells me that when his arms tire, he immediately thinks of the potential view awaiting him at the top. How about you? Have you thought of what your view will look like?

I am happy to report that I did not finish last in the Turkey Trot race. There was one person behind me, nipping at my heels: an athletic-looking young man, perhaps twenty-five years old. He was driving a golf cart, weaving back and forth to pick up the orange cones that outlined the race course!

The reality is that in the pursuit of ambitious possibilities, we are likely to fail or finish last. To stay optimistic, we must think again about these experiences. Some people see setbacks as absolute failures, while others view them as valuable information gathering. If you are reluctant to attempt something because you fear negative results, here is a compelling thought: who really loses? The person finishing last, or the one who never entered the race?

Pooh’s View Of Possibilities

The stories we read as children—and read to our children—often contain powerful messages about possibilities. Remember The Little Engine That Could? What a great parable about determination. How about Dr. Seuss’s Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, a story that rejoices in the potential everyone has to fulfill their wildest dreams? It’s too bad this childhood wisdom sometimes fades as we age and become “terminally adult.”

One classic character who lives a life filled with possibilities is A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh. What a great role model! Now, you may scoff and think, “What can I possibly learn from a storybook bear who loves honey?” Here’s what.

Pooh is someone who refuses to become discouraged, despite dire circumstances and some pessimistic friends. In addition to level-headed Christopher Robin and bouncy Tigger, Pooh also has some fairly dispiriting pals. There’s Eeyore, the dismal donkey, who walks around in a cloud of perpetual gloom and melancholy. And then there’s worried little Piglet, always asking, “What if we’re lost?” or “What if we fail?” It is up to Pooh to provide a positive alternate view.

One day, Pooh and Piglet are walking through the forest in a heavy wind that turns into a roaring gale. Piglet, as usual, becomes alarmed at the negative possibilities, and raises a question: “Supposing a tree fell down when we were underneath it?” Pooh thinks carefully, and replies, “Supposing it didn’t?”

Pooh is always asking questions that challenge Piglet to think about circumstances from a different perspective. Pooh is helping Piglet to think again.

No matter who we are or what we have achieved, we all have a little Pooh and a little Piglet in us. People who are open to possibilities are focusing on their Pooh side. When we keep a little Pooh in our outlook, our possibilities multiply. If you constantly interpret situations and facts in Piglet mode, stop and consider the Pooh view. To be our best, we all need to be full of Pooh. (Happily, people are constantly telling me that I am full of it.)

Have you noticed that many worries tend to fall into two categories—those that are unlikely, and those that are unimportant? If paralyzing worry is blocking possibilities, try asking yourself these three questions.