Love Notes – Little victories… and little parking spaces
Posted on July 9, 2014 by Maple CreekLast week I did something I never thought I could.I started my lawnmower. All by myself.
Yes, it sounds like a pretty menial accomplishment, but you have to understand the frustration I endured each summer.
Every week I struggled with that gas-powered beast, and every single week I admitted defeat and let the lawnmower win – either letting the grass grow wild another week or enlisting the assistance of a neighbour with more muscle than I (which doesn’t take much).
So I was pretty excited about showing that stubborn piece of equipment who’s boss.
As small a victory as it may seem, the little win reminded me that I’m capable of doing a lot more than I think I can.
It also means no longer having to ask for help, which is great, because it’s something I cringe at doing. I hate feeling like I’m being a burden on someone else – even with simple little jobs.
But every now and then everyone has to ask others for help. There should be no shame in it.
And personally, I think it makes us feel a little good about ourselves when we are asked to help out. I appreciate it when someone trusts my abilities or expertise in a certain area enough to ask for my advice or assistance.
But instead of actually trying or asking for help, our initial instinct is often to get frustrated, throw something and give up.
When we think we can’t do something, we don’t try.
Like so many motivational speakers love to point out, the biggest roadblock standing between you and success is yourself. That cliche couldn’t be more true.
It’s so easy for us to pay a professional to do something we could be doing ourselves if we took the time to learn or had enough faith in ourselves to tackle the job.
If I ever get a flat tire and am stranded on the side of the highway, I probably am going to call CAA, because I’ve never actually bothered to learn how to change it myself. (Note to self: must learn simple vehicle maintenance and repairs).
But from learning how to shingle a roof to actually keeping my flower garden alive and blooming, I’ve discovered there’s so much I can do if I don’t allow myself to believe I can’t.
Never stop trying to start your own lawn mower, but never be afraid to ask for help when you need it.
On a completely unrelated note, there’s another topic I feel I should really address, as it’s stirred up a lot of debate in the few days since it sprang up.
With regards to the parking issue, I’m convinced it’s all part of a conspiracy to keep loud, diesel trucks out of the downtown. In an attempt to create order and harmony, the bright parallel lines have brought about the exact opposite – chaos and anarchy. Not only is the new system unjust to every pickup truck driver in the community, but all of us who are parallel-parking challenged as well.
Therefore, I believe the best and most logical solution is for the town to have all business owners in the downtown core push their storefront properties back 25 feet from the street. The town would then have enough room to develop angle parking and make everyone happy. Sure, it’s a million-dollar undertaking, but it’s a small price to pay to never have to worry about parallel parking again.
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