365QOD-Day106

"Do or Do not.  There is no try"-Yoda

A year ago I was walking towards a hospital in Chicago.  Standing on the corner was a tall black gentlemen.  I looked at him and smiled.  I asked, "Are you Chris Garner?"  He said, "Yes" and "How did you know?"

I had read the book Chris wrote Pursuit of Happiness.  I had also seen the movie in which Will Smith plays Chris and had seen him on TV once.

During our conversation I asked him what he was working on next and he told me that he had published a second book and working on a speaking tour.

He asked me what I was doing and I said that I was also "trying" to publish a book.  He got serious on me and said that there is no try.  Either you do or you don't. 
I felt like a hypocrite.

What was interesting to me about his admonition was that I had used the same line to demonstrate that try means nothing.  In a classroom I would often hold a marker and ask a student to try to take the marker out of my hand.  They easily take it and I roll my eyes and ask them what they are doing.  I remind them that I instructed them to try.

Once I get the marker back in my hand, I tell them to try again.   This time they are usually confused but again they take the marker out of my hand.  Again I ask, "What are you doing?"  I remind them that they are no try.

At the end I end the lesson with the quote.  Either you do or you don't.  There is no try.

A year later I am in the final stages of publishing the book he admonished me for... next month it should be out.

Today's question is:
"What are you trying to do?"