“The voice telling you to quit is not a fact. It's a forecast. And forecasts are wrong all the time.”

Your mind is constantly trying to protect you and keep you out of harm's way, which is a great thing. Self-doubt is part of that. But it can also lead you to aim for a comfortable target, like running a lap in 4:00, when your full potential is closer to 3:30.

Like a weather forecast, your mind's forecast is useful for planning, but you still need to come prepared for any kind of weather. That includes a better day than it predicted. So use its number as your baseline, then go past it.

From The Weight You're Carrying, my mental health assembly for high schools. It's also on the Body Map on the For Students page, under Head.

Goes with: Mental Health Assembly Speaker for High Schools

The first was the Surf City Marathon in Huntington Beach, where I missed the qualifying time by 46 minutes. Seven weeks later I missed it by four at the Oakland Marathon, and seven days after that I ran 4:42:49 at the Modesto Marathon.

People see the certificate. They don't see the two finish times that came before it. 5:31:32 and 4:49:29 are the whole reason there's a certificate at all.

Three tries, 56 days. n = 3, no control group, and five babies as confounding variables.

Goes with: What to Do the Day After You Fail

That's why it works for anybody. You don't need talent or luck to make a decision. You just have to make it, then go collect the proof.

My children used to challenge me on this more than they do now. They'd say things like, “Okay, then can I fly without an airplane if I want to?”

I'd explain that yes, they can. You can buy a real turbine-powered jetpack. They'd ask how much it is, and I'd say between $250,000 and $500,000.

“Well, I can't afford that, so it's not possible.”

I'd tell them the price doesn't make it impossible. If something is important enough to you, you'll find a way to get the money.

“Okay, but what about without a jetpack? Is that still possible?”

Yes. But if it hasn't been done yet, you'll need to be the one to figure out how to do it. It's possible. We just don't know how yet.

The question isn't whether anything is possible. The question is whether you've decided that it is.

Anything Is Possible.

Goes with: Motivational & Resilience Assembly Speaker for High Schools