The Little Engine That Could
I went on a very long hike recently as a guest of a weekly hiking group. I don’t think I had any idea what I was in for, which is probably why I agreed to go. My friend had faith in me and my hiking capabilities, as did my family when I posed the question to them before I went; “Do you think I can do it?”. I am not an experienced hiker, to say the least, and this turned out to be a 3 hour hike (not 2 hours as I had originally been told), mostly straight up the mountain. It was glorious weather, which helped, and I had my very experienced hiker friend guiding and encouraging me the entire way, which was extremely important to me. She helped me stay the course, and believe me there were a couple of times when I didn’t think I was going to make it. The last stretch was grueling and we even went through snow. On the way up I was telling myself “I think I can, I think I can” just like the LIttle Engine That Could – a favorite children’s book of mine that I read to my children many years ago. The message of believing in yourself rings out so clearly in that book and is something I need to remind myself of constantly. I felt so relieved when I completed the hike and so proud that I had actually made it!
As I reflected on the hike, while nursing my aching body, I began to think how my hiking experience compares to running my home based business. I didn’t know what I was in for really when I started my own network marketing business. I liked the business model but had no idea how to make it successful. I questioned whether I could do it, and looked for encouragement from others whom I respect and who had faith in me. I have aligned myself in my business with great people who train, encourage and support me and who want to see me succeed, as they have. I hear myself saying “I think I can, I think I can” often as I chug up the mountain to financial freedom. It’s so important to keep your eyes on the goal, surround yourself with people who support you, and believe you can do it. I know it can be done. The LIttle Engine did it, and I did it on my hike!