Sister Doreen’s Reflections
One of the thoughts that came to mind to ponder when I thought about the remark ‘you got this’ was that it faces us with creative responsibility. We are not asked to do more than we can. We are not asked to be someone else. We are simply asked to be ourselves and to do something in our own time that has value. Joan Chittister in her book ‘For Everything a Season” says the same thing. And she goes on to say: “There comes a new moment in life when we must dedicate ourselves to creating a future. And that is hard work”. (Joan Chittister in her book ‘For Everything a Season’)
It is hard sometimes to really say with confidence “I’ve got this!” – to have the confidence to really believe that in fact we do have the possibility of being good enough to meet the challenges of life. We don’t often tell ourselves that we are worth taking care of, no matter what that unkind wee voice within is telling us about not being good enough! It is okay to cry and crumble as we go through tough times, and it is okay to be more deliberate in being kind and compassion to ourselves. In the beautiful children’s book (for grown-ups too!) ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse’ by Charlie Mackesy there is a conversation between the boy and the mole: “Sometimes I feel lost said the boy. Me too, said the mole, but we love you, and love brings you home. I think everyone is just trying to get home said the mole.” We forget sometimes that we are loved by a compassionate God who smiles encouragingly, believing in our possibilities. You’ve got this! And the conversation goes on between the boy and the horse: “What is the bravest thing you’ve ever said? asked the boy. Help said the horse.”
Speaking encouragement to myself – you’ve got this – became a mantra for me with the growing awareness of moving into the second half of life, facing the transitions of limitations that comes with growing older. It became a phrase that whispered encouragement to me, that began to chant deep down in my soul, when faced with a new or difficult situation: ‘you can do this, you can do this, you have the skills to do this, you have the know-how and the ability to try this’. It became, in a very real way, a journey of learning to grow kinder to myself.
In the ACW quarterly newsletter of the Diocese of Edmonton “In Touch” June 2024 there was an article called the Knot Prayer (Author unknown) that I found helpful in my musings about “You got this! Be your Best Today”, so I share it:
Dear God
Please untie the knots that are in my mind, my heart, and my life.
Remove the have-nots, can-nots, and the do-nots.
Erase the will-nots, may-nots, might-nots that may find a home in my heart.
Release me from the could-nots, would-nots, and should-nots that obstruct my life.
And most of all, dear God, I ask that you remove from my mind, my heart, and my life
All of the am-nots that I have allowed to hold me back,
Especially the thought that I am not good enough.
Amen.
You got this – don’t let the voice of ridicule, rejection or censure deter you, whether that comes from within yourself or from the people or cultural norms around you. You have a goal in life that you have honed. It was George Bernard Shaw that said this in his own way: “This is the true joy of life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.”
Another quote in the ACW “In Touch” that I took to heart was: “Morning is God’s way of saying one more time, go make a difference, touch a heart, encourage a mind, inspire a soul and enjoy the day.” I’ve got this – be my best today! Today is my opportunity to build the tomorrow I want. As we say this together, for I believe it is to this we are all called to a common effort and for world-wide gain, we become love made visible. We are called to develop the best of ourselves so that we can make the best possible world for everyone else as well. It is perhaps a counter-cultural call from me-ism to we-ism. A call to be co-creators with God, rebuilders.
As Joan Chittister says: “the soul of a rebuilder is based on the ability to look lovingly into nothingness and know that there is something there worth going to, worth giving this life to doing so that the lives of those that follow can be better still … There is great spiritual merit in being a rebuilder … to prod the world one step closer to the reign of God, one idea nearer to the vision of God, one moment closer to the will of God. It is wise to remember that courage is fear that has held on one minute longer!”
A quote by Oprah Winfrey is worth pondering: “You define your life. Don’t let other people write your script.”
It is important that at the end of the day we remind ourselves that we have done the best we could today, and that is good enough. “What has been done has been done, let it be. What has not been done has not been done, it be”. And the horse said “always remember you matter, you’re important and you are loved, and you bring to this world things no one else can.” You’ve got this! Be your best today. You can do this!
