Message #8 From Your Artful Mentor

Hi Summer Team,

How’s everyone doing this week? I don’t know who has recommitted and who hasn’t, so you are all getting this note. If you didn’t recommit, let me know and I will take you off my list.

Who would like to meet some night next week and go over fundraising in a brainstorming session? Let me know, and which nights will work, and we will try to arrange something. I had a blast cheering for the Spring Team Sunday at the Shamrock Marathon, and couldn’t help but think that this will be you all in just a couple of months. Those huge half-marathon and marathoner smiles will be on your faces in San Diego!!!!!

I am going to stay away from any sage fundraising advice with this note and my next one, and instead focus on a positive attitude. So in this note we will discuss naysayers. You may have encountered naysayers this season when you told people what you were going to do. They are the people who might say: “You can’t do that! It’s not possible. You are not capable to (run a marathon / half marathon) (walk a marathon / half marathon) (raise thousands of dollar’s). You’re too (young) (old) (slow) (weak) (poorly connected) (use whatever term they might use).” Yes, these are naysayers – determined to rain on your parade and sap your confidence in yourself. Your Artful Mentor says “Pay no attention to these people.” Believe in yourself and prove them wrong. Now that you have recommitted, you are going to have to raise at least your minimum amount of close to $2,900, and you are going to have to run or walk a marathon or half-marathon. Naysayers won’t help, so ignore them.

I am pretty sure that Edgar A. Guest must have been inspired by naysayers when he penned these words. Given that every one of you remaining is female, I changed the “he” references to “she”, etc:

It Couldn’t be Done
by Edgar A. Guest

Somebody said it couldn't be done,
But she with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't," but she would be one
Who wouldn't say so till she'd tried.
So she buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On her face. If she worried she hid it.
She started to sing and she tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and she did it.

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one has ever done it";
But she took off her coat and she took off her hat,
And the first thing we knew she'd begun it.
With a lift of her chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
She started to sing and she tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and she did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you, one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That "cannot be done," and you'll do it.

By recommitting, you have expressed the sentiment of the lines above – that the thing that others say can’t be done, you will find a way to do!

Let Coach Chuck know about your Monument 10K plans, and let me know if you want to talk fundraising next week!

GO TEAM!
Art