“You can’t let it”

As a student, I always struggled. I received C & D grades, for me school was often overwhelming and frustrating.

My sophomore year of high school I had a new math teacher. For the sake of this post, we’ll call him Mr. Smith. He was Awesome!! Great teacher and person, so we had a strong friendship in the classroom.

One day as I was walking from school to the train station I saw Mr. Smith and decided to walk with him. He was just as cool out of the classroom as he was in it. We bullshitted for a while and then he asked me about school and how things were going. I gave him the usual “ ah ya know I have so much homework and so & so gives so much work and he/she is a hard teacher blah blah blah.” I finished saying “ School overwhelms me”

His response was not what I expected. He said 4 simple words: “You can’t let it.” This phrase has reframed my beliefs ever since. It was, for me, the most evident paradigm shift I can ever recall having. I’m not sure exactly what it was, maybe the context, the way he said it? Regardless that moment has stuck with me ever since.

I believe this simple story serves as a great metaphor for life.

You are in control, and no matter how much life knocks you down “you can’t let it” overwhelm you.

- Fred Posimo