I Think I Can

As part of our bedtime reading ritual, one night my 4 year-old daughter and I read the book “The Little Engine That Could” borrowed from a local public library. We greatly enjoyed the book and were particularly moved by what the little engine achieved by constantly repeating “I Think I Can.” Watch the full video story here to refresh your memory.

Few days later, we were in a public park nearby our home. There was a stepping stone ride in the park that my daughter had never tried before. She felt very scared at the beginning and kept battling her fear throughout the walk.

Then, she is reminded of the ‘Little Engine” story and starts reciting “I Think I Can” with every step forward. Within few minutes she was at the other end of the suspension bridge with a sense of victory, joy and amazement. Simple chanting of “I Think I Can” worked like a magic ‘mantra’. Watch this short video clip to see how she conquered her fear.

From that point onward, “I Think I Can” became part of our routine vocabulary at home. Now, whenever she feels fearful about trying something new such as reading an advanced book, playing a challenging board game, or trying a new tune on harmonica, she happily chants “I Think I Can” and defeats the task at hand (well, most of the time).

How often we get scared of something even before trying it?

If you’re a teacher, what can you do to cultivate “I Think I Can” among your students in the classroom?

If you’re a parent, what can you do to sow the seed of “I Think I Can” in your child?

“You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.” — Kahlil Gibran