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I generally hate the word "try". To me it smacks of an attitude of 'well, I'll give it a shot, but I'm not likely to make it.' I guess part of the problem is that most of the time when I say "I'll try" rather than "I'll do it" I'm giving myself a way out. "Well, I only said I'd try!"
However, today I was told that I will not get a job I've been working on landing for the last 6 months. The blow was made worse by the very positive tone of my conversation last Thursday with the hiring manager. Frankly, I feel awful. Hope isn't exactly spontaneously bubbling up. I mean, let's face it, you don't see a lot of want ads recruiting alcoholic, arthritic 59 year-olds with a heart condition who have been unemployed for over a year.
Tonight I feel differently about the word "try". I guess I'm seeing it more the way (I think) others do - not as a hedging of my intentions but rather as a simple recognition that the possibility of failure is always lurking out there. And yet, despite the threat or even the reality of failure, I have to push forward. Somehow "I'll try" sounds like a cop out to me while "I'll die trying" sounds like a expression of hope and tenacity. So, I guess I'm resolving to die trying.
Monday, March 7, 2011
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Just don't give up 5 minutes before the miracle.
ReplyDeleteI am reminded of the line from Yoda in Star Wars "Do or do not... there is no try" when this topic comes up form time to time.
ReplyDeleteNow I understand the idea of wanting to be positive and forward looking in our speech and saying things like "Don't try to do it, do it!" but from my position words like "try" have a place in the vocabulary of a person who is aware of his/her limitations.
When say I an going to "try" to do something I am saying: I realize my own strengths and weaknesses, and that this thing lies more in the realm of my weaknesses. But I resolve to test myself and attempt it, but pragmatically speaking... it may not work out. But I will "try".
On a side note... dAAve's comment about not giving up "before the miracle" has me thinking about that saying. I think I will post something about it...
So sorry you had bad news. The "try" I see here is trying to have serenity, no matter what.
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