"If I can take it, I can make it"

Dear Why Team member,
I hope this week’s message finds you well and encouraged. This week we consider:


"If I can take it, I can make it"

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"If I can take it, I can make it"


History…the perfect glasses through which to look into the future.
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One of my favorite books of all time is "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand, a World War II story of survival and resilience. My mother gave it to me many years ago and the life story of Louis Zamperini, besides blowing me away, made me think how many amazing stories are out there that we will never hear - and also, how we, ourselves, have the ability of creating so many powerful stories. The movie version of the story was released about 3 years ago. The WWII scene of the flying B-24 in combat is alone worth the viewing. But it is the mantra shared throughout the movie that got my attention:


"If I can take it, I can make it"


Who says those words? The ones that have high self-esteem? We hear about the importance of self-esteem ad nauseam, and how important it is to our ability to believe in ourselves.
I read once that the greatest concentration of those with the highest self-esteem can be found in prisons.
Hmm, think about it. 
I would argue that even if, in general, we have high self-esteem, it is self-efficacy that best supports us in the midst of life's challenges. Is the self-esteem largely fueled by opinion or based on a history of effectiveness? Self-efficacy, more-so than self-esteem, develops within us an attitude of "bring it on", "I can handle whatever life dishes out."


As I have written in the past, no one asks for a character building experience, but isn’t it through our adversities that we really come to know what we are made of?
“If you can take it, you can make it". And this is The Point… you, can take it! Look at you, look what you have already overcome. You can take it and You can make it.
The thousand-mile journey may, in the moment, look impossible but, let not the distance have power over you, your self-efficacy should push you to just take one more step. Those who keep taking one more step in the direction of their dreams most often achieve them. Don’t let fear make you look anywhere else but forward; keep fear in your hand, but far away from your heart. Take one more step and say one more word of encouragement to yourself or say the mantra:


“If I can take it, I can make it!”


If it hasn't happened to you already, keep it up and you will most assuredly look back and marvel at the distance you have come.


Yes, Life can be very tough, but we can be tougher- that’s how we build self-efficacy, fueling authentic self-esteem, and then, through our stories and developed strength, we are more able to help lift others.


The wind strengthens the whole tree, down to its roots. Embrace your struggles and learn even from the most minor ones. Just as you may hire a personal trainer, choosing the hardship to become better, choose all that life has to offer, both the smooth path, but more so, the difficult trail. For it is the trail up the mountain that more often provides the most spectacular views.


Make it a great week!

Steve Luckenbach