We can -We will, I can-I will, a simple way to motivate yourself or a team to achieve a goal you have set out for the team or yourself.

We can – We will

 

Do you know that in a race all the runners run, everyone wins, but only one gets the prize?

 

What do I mean by everybody wins?

 

Winning is subjective, for some, to compete is to win.

 

To others to finish first is to win and still others to finish in the top three is considered victory.

 

So what do I mean when I say everyone wins?

 

What I am referring to is not in who finishes first, but in who finishes.

 

Winning is a state of mind.

 

Everyone who participates – is a winner.

 

Win – to gain victory in or as if in a contest. To gain by means of effort, earn.

 

Victory – success in a struggle against an obstacle or opponent.

 

Success – the achievement of something desired, intended, or attempted.

 

Failure – the state or act of failing.

 

Fail – to prove so as to be totally ineffective. To be unsuccessful. To weaken, decline or cease to function properly.

 

Success – failure, wins – lose, compete – watch, dynamic – stagnant.

 

In life it is not so important that you finish every race you run in first place as much as it is important that you compete, you try, and you attempt to compete.

 

You don’t need to win every race to be a winner, you just need to participate.

 

It doesn’t matter what others think or say, it only matters what you think.

 

Nothing ever got done by those sitting on the sidelines waiting for the game to begin.

 

Similarly in life, nothing will get done in your life if you sit on the sidelines and wait for the world to come to you; you must come to the world.

 

There are doers and observers, be a doer, not an observer, set a goal for yourself, not for others.

 

It has been said “It is not whether you win or lose but how you play the game that counts.”

 

I would say it is not whether you win or lose but that you do play the game that counts.

 

Nothing ever got done by inactivity, by sitting around, by thinking or dreaming about something, eventually everything gets done, one step at a time, one activity at a time until it is accomplished according to the goal or objective of the participant.

 

Don’t let others tell you, you can’t.

 

Especially don’t tell yourself you can’t.

 

You can and you will - should be your motto.

 

Or I can and I will, or if you are on a team, we can and we will!

 

You can put whatever label you want at the end of that statement; the first thing is to believe you can, the second thing to believe is you will.

 

The Seattle Mariners could say, we can and we will win the World Series. They first need to believe they can, secondly they need to execute and believe they will.

 

Others will tell you, you can’t and you won’t, don’t believe them, believe in yourself, your ability.

 

If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.

 

Don’t give up and don’t give in, nothing ever was accomplished by those who gave up and gave in.

				WE CAN
									Don’t compare, compete. Don’t despair, succeed. Rome wasn’t built in a day – Keep after it, day by day by day by day.
	Believe in yourself, trust yourself, don’t judge yourself
					WE WILL

This would be a very effective marketing slogan or good slogan for any school, team, and organization to use.

 

We can and we will.

 

Every school that had a dream of winning a game, the conference, district, regions, state.

 

You could have all kinds of t-shirts, hats, mugs etc. printed up with the slogan, we can and we will printed along with whatever their goal is.

 

For example say their goal is to win conference in football.

 

They would then have the slogan we can, we will and sandwiched between that would be 2001 District 9 Conference Champs.

 

You can have one for specific games like the homecoming game, this list is endless, and four words show you believe in your goal and two you intend to succeed in achieving your goal.

 

Four simple words say it all.

 

I also like the saying don’t compare, just compete!

 

Do it for yourself, not anyone else.

 

You and you alone measure your victory.

 

Don’t let anyone tell you, you can’t, you’re not good enough, or don’t bother trying out.

 

Have a will to win; no one ever won a race without first being entered to run in it.

 

You must first enter, and then run, before you can win.

 

This is true in life as well.  Nothing gets done if you are just sitting around the house doing nothing. 

 

John F Kennedy was quoted as saying, “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

 

In today’s society, it seems as just the opposite is true, “ask not what you can do for your country (government), and ask what your country (government) can do for you.”

 

To many people are living on the sidelines of life waiting for the government to do for them what they themselves are unwilling to do, which is sustain themselves.

 

It is not the role of the government to take care of us; it is our personal responsibility and duty to take care of ourselves and family and to be responsible citizens of this great nation.

 

It all starts with our belief in self. You can and you will succeed if you choose to participate. 

 

One man’s success is another man’s failure.

 

Don’t worry about how others perceive your level of success, remember that you and only you get to determine what success is for you and in most cases; just trying is success enough for most.

 

So go out and conquer the world that surrounds you. Begin by saying, I can – I will and between these two statements place your goal.

 

For example,

 

I can

 

Get a job

 

I will

 

 You can do this for every single goal you set out to achieve. 

 

So start today, a new way of living.  The world is your oyster, ripe for the taking if only you motivate yourself.

 

God bless you and remember, he hears your prayers and will help those who help themselves.

 

 

 

I am not good enough, I don't measure up, I don’t deserve it, and I am not worth it

I am not good enough, I don't measure up, I don’t deserve it, and I am not worth it.

 

How many times do we tell ourselves I am not good enough! Good enough for what? To be loved, accepted, recognized, appreciated, acknowledged, understood, approved, regarded, to go to heaven. 

 You’re not good enough, you don’t measure up. Do people really say these things or do they insinuate them by comparison.  

Insinuate – to introduce (e.g. suspicion) slyly. To introduce oneself by sly or ingenious means. To hint.  

Does a parent go around telling their children that they are worthless, unlovable, unworthy of existence? Yes they do, their words cut to the heart of a child like a torpedo hitting its target. Within the heart of a child, they are blown to pieces. This person who is supposed to love, respect, and support them is destroying them and they have no means of defending themselves from this verbal missile attack on their character. All too often these verbal attacks like torpedoes are designed to produce a reaction within the recipient or target. Our parents mean well when they say “when I was your age” or tell stories of their childhood which clearly demonstrate how much more difficult it was for them than it is for you now. It may be more subtle than that, they may not recognize or appreciate the effort you put into a project or event. They may give you a cursory compliment followed by the phrase “next time” all in an effort to create confidence that you can do better next time.  

These subtle forms of comparison often destroy a young child and lead them into believing they are 

Never good enough,  

They will never measure, 

They never deserve to be loved,  

They never can stop striving for perfection, 

They never can be appreciated for the effort they put into something,  

That they always could achieve more, 

Always do more, 

Always be more. 

No grade in school is ever enough, no amount of success in sports is ever enough, no amount of helping around the house is good enough, and no amount of dedication or devotion to the church is good enough.  

You get the idea, we are drummed into our fragile emotional state as a young child that our parents had it harder, they did it better with less means, they were smarter, less understood and appreciated, they are working hard all for our benefit, because their parents did not appreciate and recognize them, they are going to do the same to their children.  

What does that do for the child? 

The child grows up believing they are unworthy of love, affection, romance, success and countless other virtues because they have been taught at a tender age that they will never measure up to their parents or their parents expectations.  

Parents destroy a child’s self-worth, image, esteem for life by their constant picking, comparing, needling, their relentless attempt to get their child to conform, achieve more, be like them.  

Well we are not our parents, we will never be our parents, as adults we need to break out of their chains that bind us. 

We are not inferior, worthless, undeserving, unlovable, fragile, and insecure.  

We don't need to compromise who we are in order to receive the benefits of love, acceptance, romance, security. 

We are all deserving of love from one another.  

We are all deserving of God’s love for us. God loves each and every one of us. A child whose self-worth, esteem, acceptance, love has not been built up grows up with incredible insecurity. There is no foundation to fall back in times of fear, uncertainty and doubt. It is very important to instill in children at a young age that our God Lord loves them, that we love them, and that we accept them, the unique person that they are. We all have our differences from one another that do not make us any more or less likeable or lovable. We are a gift from God, Gods chosen people, loved by our father despite our imperfections and infirmities. We have great worth in his eyes. If we continue to believe in the name of our Lord Jesus, obey his commandments, and pray continuously, we will find the peace, happiness and joy.

 I desire to be like the wise man as told in the story of Matthew 7:24-29.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

²⁸ When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, ²⁹ because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.”

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on a rock. The rain came down and the streams rose and the winds blew and beat against the house, yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. Psalms 18:2 – I love you my Lord my strength. The Lord is my rock my fortress and my deliverer, my God is my rock, in which I take refuge. He is my shield and my horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the Lord who is worthy of praise and I am saved from my enemies. Matthew 16:18 – Jesus says and I tell you that are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Does a wise man build his house upon the rock, remember we are that house; we are a holy temple of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 3:16 – Don’t you know that you yourself are Gods holy temple and that Gods spirit lives within you.

We are the temple of the Lord, a wise man will build his house upon the rock, is Peter that rock? No! Is God that rock? Yes. We are to build our house upon the foundation of the Lord, not Peter. 

Remember we are called to love our neighbor as our self. We are called to live in peace, in harmony, to avoid contention, be slow to anger, be filled with compassion and sympathy, do what is good, forgive others, serve others without expectation, be joyful in everything, pray continuously, love the truth, honor and obey our parents, have faith, hope, charity, keep no records of wrongs, have patient endurance, love our neighbors as ourselves.  

Insecurity – not adequately protected or guarded, unsafe. Unstable. Not self-confident. 

Security – freedom from risk or danger, safety. Freedom from doubt, anxiety, fear; confidence.  

Confidence – reliance on trust. A trusting relationship. A feeling of self-assurance. In the 23^rd Psalm verse 4 – Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me, your rod and your staff comfort me. Philippians 1:6 – Being confident of this, that he who begun a good work in me will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 

I am confident and have full faith in my salvation. I trust the Lord will see me through any time of fear, uncertainty and doubt. I love the Lord with all of my heart and soul, in him I shall never hunger or thirst. I will not let Satan have a foothold, everything good comes from God, and everything evil comes from Satan. I will not dwell on the past, I will live for the Lord today, and I will serve his children today. Even though I walk through the valley of fear, uncertainty and doubt I will trust in the Lord to complete his good work in me until the day he comes again on a cloud from heaven. I love you my Lord, I thank you for this day and I sing praises to your name. Bless me as I live this day, protect me from all evil and spiritual harm. May your will be done in my life Heavenly Father, not mine and may you bless me with patience and endurance.

 

Amen.