Inspirational Words of Wisdom

It Couldn't Be Done

Encouragement poems like It Couldn't Be Done can give you the drive and fortitude to do what many may think is impossible.

Everyone will say it was "easy" after something has been completed. But before the project is started, everyone will say it's impossible to do. Thank goodness there are people of purpose in our world that ignore the naysayers and do it anyway.

Without their ambitions and perseverance, we wouldn't have airplanes, telephones, or even electricity in our homes. Always remember--you can achieve anything that you set your mind to.

Ignore the doubters, meet each problem as it arises, and don't fear the "big picture" of completing your task. Always stay focused on the fact that it CAN be done.

It Couldn't Be Done
by Edgar A. Guest

Somebody said that it couldn't be done,
But he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one ever has done it";
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,
And the first thing we knew he'd begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That "cannot be done," and you'll do it.

~Edgar A. Guest (1881 - 1959)

Originally from England, Guest and his family moved to America in 1891 where he became known as the People's Poet. The poems he wrote were of a sentimental, optimistic nature. "How Do You Tackle Your Work?" can be found in his collection of poems entitled A Heap O' Livin (1916).

More Poems by Edgar Guest

How Do You Tackle Your Work
See It Through
The Things That Haven't Been Done Before

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Books That Encourage
Life Changes

When you need encouragement, hearing another's story can open up a world of possibilities in your mind. The following are 10 inspiring books featured on Amazon's Bestsellers list, some of which I have read myself, and feel they are highly motivating. I hope you think so too.

1) The Last Lecture

2) PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death, and God

3) You Can Heal Your Life

4) The Christmas List: A Novel

5) The Happiness Project

6) A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life

7) My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey

8) Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself

9) Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears

10) The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

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