There is no "Try".

“Try not. Do or do not. There is no try!” Yoda- Star Wars Character

“I will try.” Hearing these words uttered out of my own mouth filled me with dismay. My boss looked at me with defeated apprehension in his eyes, and shook his head. His reaction told me what I needed to do. Pushing myself into action I altered my statement abruptly. “I will do it!” Relief washed over his face like a warm wash cloth, and a soft smile brightened his expression. “Now, that’s what I wanted to hear!”

It had been an endless Friday fraught with dissatisfied customers, discontented fellow employees, and numerous mishaps strewn throughout the day like a game of connect-the-dots. Did my pessimistic attitude affect my life in a downbeat way? Did my actions, words and body language somehow influence negative forces to take hold? I determined to improve my outlook, make some positive changes and turn my frown upside down (yes, a cliché, but one that fits).

How often do you hear these words from yourself and others: “I’ll try . . . to be on time”, or “I’ll try . . . to get that finished”? The phrase “I’ll try” does not inspire confident assurance in anyone. It only creates doubt. It is used along with a lack of commitment, an uncertainty of success, and an unwillingness to put forth the effort needed.

The origin of the word “try” came from prehistoric times. The procrastinating caveman “Ugg” came up with the word. Having spent the morning being harassed by his wife to bring home meat for dinner, he glanced outside the cave entrance only to notice a huge, menacing, and fierce saber tooth tiger eying him hungrily. Throwing stones in front of the entrance, he hid in the corner and said, “Ugg try tomorrow.” Due to a lack of food, he and his family perished, but this useless word survived and spread like the discovery of fire. It passed on through generations, showing up in the English language along with “can’t”, “why”, “maybe”, “sometime” and “uh-uh” centuries later, to the disappointment of us all.

“I’ll try” is a statement that implies a lack of dedication. It is beige on the color wheel, bland to the taste buds, and that white noise emitting from the air conditioning vent, an undefined and vague offshoot from the straight road to accomplishment. You have to search to find it amongst the tangle of bushes and twigs, buried behind a tree stump, it is so elusive. It’s a generic cop out of a word, used only when your expectations are mediocre at best. If I were asked to walk a tight rope across the Grand Canyon, would my response be, “I’ll try.” Hell no! Perhaps an emphatic, “Absolutely, I would love to,” or an equally enthusiastic “No way!” but certainly not “I’ll try.” I would be dooming myself to failure. (I’ll leave that one to Evel Knievel. Can you imagine him responding “I’ll try”?)

In every situation you must be willing to:
• Give your all
• Make the necessary effort
• Follow through
• Get it done
Avoid the “maybe”, “someday”, “whenever”, or “soon” see-sawing, hazy, fuzzy and blurred response. That just won’t cut it.

Sure, there are times when we are all guilty of sitting back, propping up our feet and just expecting change to be handed to us like a miracle on a silver platter. Haven’t we heard somewhere that if we just expect good things, abundance, happiness and success will come to us? Did they forget to tell us that it takes some effort on our part? Yes, I believe in a Divine Being that intervenes and fights for us when the going gets rough. However, I also believe that same Divine Being expects us to do our part in the immense scheme of things. That is why we were given brains to think with, muscles to work with and common sense to get the job done.

• You need to buy a ticket to win the lottery.
• You must enter a contest to win.
• You have to drive a car (or somebody does) to get where you’re going.
• Dinner doesn’t cook itself.
• The handle has to be pulled on the slot machine to win the jackpot.
• You are required to attend classes to earn a degree.
• Work is necessary to get a paycheck.

So, when the word “try” enters your vocabulary, make a conscious change to “I will”. That’s your final answer- no ifs, ands, or buts about it!

Take back your power. Make the changes necessary to improve your life. Just do it!