Tip Of The Week 02.18.08: All you can do isn't all you can do!
I am sure every one of us has heard the old familiar saying, "Well, all you can do is all you can do!" That is often said as though an individual has exhausted all possibilities and done everything within their power to handle a certain situation. If there is anything I have learned in life, it is the fact that everyone can do a little more. I do not say that to place additional guilt or burden on anyone. I just believe that we need to approach each challenge looking for another way to make progress.
Can you imagine if that attitude had prevailed in the field of medicine one hundred years ago? Even though there was a limited amount of information and technology available at that time, there was still more work to be done and more opportunity to be explored. Someone thought, "We can do this a lot better!"
Think about the field of aviation. There was a time when the fastest known form of transportation was a train. I can just hear someone complaining as they rattled along on a train from city to city, "This is all I can do." But, someone got dissatisfied with that mode of travel. As a matter of fact, a couple of brothers in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, decided that "all you can do isn't all you can do." They decided they would figure out a way to make transportation faster. Thank you Orville and Wilbur!
What about in your own personal life? What wall have you recently hit that has made you buy into the untrue philosophy that you have done everything possible in your situation? Have you sought council from other friends? Have you searched the internet to find additional information about your current problem, challenge or issue? Have you talked to someone who is older and wiser and asked them how they handled something similar in their life? I think that most of us get lazy when it comes to solving difficult problems. One of the reasons for that is because it is so painful and hurtful to enter into the realm of the unknown. When we do not know what to do in a situation, our mind usually shuts down. Rather than looking for new opportunities and ways to do things, we quickly believe we have exhausted all possibilities before exploring additional options.
In the last couple of years, I have had the opportunity to care for two close relatives until their deaths. While I was still caring for them, I thought I was being a very good caregiver to the people whom I dearly loved. Of course there were times when I got frustrated, but I always told myself, "You are doing all you can do. All you can do is all you can do." Boy was I wrong!
Through some friends' advice I called an organization called Hospice. I have never seen or met any group of people like that in my life. Talk about angels! They definitely fit the bill. They came into our home and helped like I had never seen help before. They knew what to do in every situation. When my relatives had to actually go to the hospice facility, more help, more care, and more ideas were offered. There was no end to the love, helpfulness, thoughtfulness, usefulness and compassion shown by that organization. I remember thinking to myself (in an embarrassing way), "Wow, I thought I was doing a lot. I really was not doing very much at all." My own ignorance was part of the reason for that and some of it was because of the mental block in my head that I was doing all that I could. They quickly taught me otherwise.
As you approach the next challenge in your life that seems very frustrating and gets you down, rather than thinking that you have exhausted all possibilities, ask around and get a fresh perspective on what you are facing. It is one of the biggest blessings you will ever experience in your life to see things that you have not seen before and learn things that you did not previously know. And, in the end, you will be able to do more than you ever thought you could!
Have a great week! God bless you! Robert A. Rohm Ph.D.
do all things...
Who We Are
Crews' Home for Girls, Inc. was founded in 1995 by Paul and Diana Crews with the vision and belief that we could help neglected, abused, and at risk teen girls by modeling Biblical values and living the Phil 4:13 motto of "We can do all things through Christ who gives us strength."
We began with a 6-bed home in the Rosedale area of Bakersfield, CA (#157200248) and expanded our services to include coaching and training by becoming Human Behavior Consultants through Personality Insights.
After 12 years of service, our vision has turned into dedication. We at Crews Home will continue to dedicate ourselves and all available resources to meet the increasing demands of today's foster youth: Physical, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual.
Crews Home is driven by our core Mission Statement that we will treat all people who pass through our doors with Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.
Paul and Diana Crews
Who We Serve
We can accommodate up to 6 females ranging from 12 to 17 years of age from either Social Services or Juvenile Probation.
We provide RCL 12 supervision in a structured residential environment with the ultimate goal of equipping our residents with the tools necessary to become productive members of our communities.
Our program is designed for abused, neglected and at risk teens that may be dealing with the following issues: depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, ADHD, Bi-Polar Disorder, abandonment, eating disorders, delinquency, learning disabilities, and impending emancipation.
We accept placements from any county in the State of California and have thus far served the following counties: Kern County, Tulare County, Kings County, Fresno County, Inyo County, Monterey County, Lake County and Butte County.
