If He Can Do It, I Can Do It

While you were watching the Olympics this summer, did you see the Nike commercial? You know…the one with the overweight kid “running” toward the camera? Well, really not running…more like shuffling. He barely puts one foot in front of the other while a voice talks about “greatness.” The commercial ends with the words: “We’re all capable of (greatness). All of us.”

That. Commercial. Motivated. Me. It wasn’t so much the words. In fact, I don’t think I even paid attention to the words any of the 83 times I saw the commercial. What I said to myself every time I saw that commercial was: “If he can do that, I can do that.”

I have been a sporadic “runner” off and on for many years now…more “on” than “off.” But over the past year or so it’s been very easy for me to find one excuse or another: “I’ll never be able to run again like I used to.” “I have this ‘fatigue’ that the doctors can’t figure out so I might as well give in to it.” “It’s too cold.” “It’s too hot.” “It won’t help me lose weight, anyway.”

So my running has been more sporadic than ever. But then I saw the kid on the Nike commercial. If he can do it, I can do it. Over the past couple of weeks, more often than not, I have been getting up, slipping on the running shoes, beating the heat with an early morning venture into the misty air, and putting one foot in front of the other. If you saw me “running” you’d see that it’s really not unlike the kid on the commercial.

But if he can do it, I can do it.

You know what? It’s really just about showing up. Making it a pattern. Creating a habit.

I haven’t noticed any big improvement, or that it’s becoming any easier. In fact, I wish I’d see at least some improvement. But I just. keep. thinking. about. that. kid.

If he can do it, I can do it. 

Nike says that it’s about “greatness.” I’d say that

  • It’s more about a competitive spirit and not giving up.
  • It’s about showing up.
  • It’s about making helpful habits.
  • It’s about using whatever it takes to motivate oneself.
  • It’s about lacing up the shoes and getting out there: hot or cold, rain or shine, energetic or tired.

If he can do it, I can do it.

And so can you.

What is motivating you today to move forward?

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5 thoughts on “If He Can Do It, I Can Do It

  1. You are motivating me!! Remember to send this reminder to my twitter every day and in turn I will remind you that I can do it and I know it!

  2. I loved that commercial too and am so glad that it motivated you and probably thousands of people to get up and move. I'm a little limited right now in what exercising I can do, since I'm almost 4 weeks post op, but I so wish I could swim right now. What I can finally do is go walk in the water. It's not a daily think right now, but "if he can do it, I can do it".

  3. I'm totally with you on the sporadic running issue! But today before I read your post, I applied that very principle. We live on the top of a very steep hill, and I always marveled at the people that would run up that hill with no problem and keep going. "If he can do it, I can do it" – And I did! The key was getting the hill done after warming up and not too far into the run. This was also a day off of work for me. Now if I can only master getting up and running up that hill at 6 am!

    • You can do it! 6 a.m. might be tough, but it's all about just getting up out of bed and getting your feet on the street. Go for it!