Why Not Us? Why Not Me?

“I remember my dad asking me one time, and it’s something that has always stuck with me: ‘Why not you, Russ?’ You know, why not me? Why not me in the Super Bowl? So in speaking to our football team earlier in the year, I said, ‘Why not us? Why can’t we be there?'”

– Russell Wilson, Quarterback, Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks

Why not me?

It’s a question we don’t typically ask ourselves is it?

Usually, the internal dialogue answers that question before we even ask it. We come up with a series of excuses and reasons why we can’t reach our goals and dreams. That voice in our heads starts an incessant onslaught of “I can’t.”

Steven Pressfield calls it the Resistance. Christian tradition often attributes it to the devil. It’s that voice in your head that says you’re not good enough, not strong enough, not smart enough . . . just plain not enough.

Sometimes the seeds are planted by others. Sometimes we listen to what others say about us and believe them. We sell ourselves short because we think what they say is true.

At other times we’re just to afraid to start. We’re afraid to risk success and, oddly, we become afraid of success itself. We doubt it too much to believe it is possible and become comfortable with our own discontent.

Starting is half the battle.

You’ll never know if you can play in the NFL unless you start practicing and working at it now.

You’ll never know if you are a writer if you don’t write or if you don’t publish.

You’ll never know if you can start your own business until you asked for your first sale.

You’ll never know if you can be a leader unless you lead the way.

You’ll never know if you can change someone’s life if you don’t speak up.

The Other Half Is Starting Again

Most failures occur because people never tried again. There may not be re-do’s in life, but there are always second chances.

Failures can be something we learn from or something we give in to.

Blind Faith

I actually like the phrase “blind faith” because it articulates a key aspect of God’s involvement in our lives. We don’t have blind faith because we ignore arguments against doctrines; we have blind faith because we’re naive enough to ignore the odds. We have the courage enough to stand up to what is nearly impossible knowing we have God’s help.

David defeated Goliath despite the size and experience difference. How did he do it? He had faith. He had faith in God to defeat the undefeatable.

Think of the stories of Jesus walking through the crowds. The Gospels feature some who had the courage to stand out: to climb a tree or to touch his cloak. It made others angry, yet to Jesus, these men and women were worthy of his time and attention. They were healed and honored because of their faith.

Faith helps us overcome that voice in our heads. Faith gives us the answer to the question, “Why not me?”

The answer is silence. The voice is quiet.

That only leaves one thing for us to do.

Start.