Maybe you've heard the saying, "There's no such thing as trying. You either do it or you don't." What do you think of this statement? Does it feel empowering, chastising, defeating? If you're anything like me, how you respond to this depends entirely on the situation, because there are many different levels and qualities of trying.
For the purpose of discussion, let's look at two examples of how the word is used:
Ex. A: "I tried to phone you yesterday, but my cat kept distracting me."
Ex. B: "I tried to rescue everyone from the blazing inferno, but the explosion knocked me unconscious."
I think we'd all agree that example A represents a lame excuse, and would easily fit within the criteria of "You either do it or you don't." But who would be insensitive enough to tell the injured fire fighter, "There's no such thing as trying..."? Let's face it, not all trying is created equal, and it might be useful to consider how much earnest effort is actually expended, and with what state of mind.
You might argue that, according to the law of attraction, "trying" is but a wishy-washy concept that boils down to "not doing," and that the universe only rewards your full commitment. This is how I interpret the saying about there being no such thing as trying. But what about intention? What power does that hold? I would say that in the overall scheme, intention packs a huge punch.
Here's what I'm thinking. There are different degrees of trying and intention. On a scale of 1 to 10, sometimes we're giving it a 1, and sometimes a 10. And some people, as a general pattern, try harder or hold more sincere intentions than others. There's no judgment about this; it's just the way people are designed.
So, individually, it all comes down to you and how the word "try" affects your life. For instance, when you tell yourself or others that you're trying to be on time, lose weight, find a better job, etc., but you're not putting any real effort or intention into achieving that goal, you're actually defeating yourself and establishing a faulty belief system that tells you and others that you're a failure. What started out as a decent intention ends up biting you in the backside. Ouch.
What is your relationship with the word "try"? This week, I ask you to join me in noticing when and how we use this word. Under what circumstances do you say it or think it, and with what results? Do you use it as an excuse or does it mean you're putting out your best effort? Please let me know how this goes. I'd love to hear from you.
