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By Paolo von Schirach
July 13, 2011
WASHINGTON – The US women soccer team did it again. After the amazing victory against Brazil, they won against France with a 3-1 score. Now they are in the final. Abby Wambach scored one of the three goals for America.
“These wins, we can’t do it alone. We know a whole nation is cheering us on,” Wambach said. “We believe in ourselves and we’re in the final. I couldn’t be happier.”
“We believe in ourselves”
Please allow me to moralise a bit more. Note what Wambach said: “We believe in ourselves”. Belief in one self may not get you very far, if it is not grounded on any substance, any real talent or capability. But when you have talent and training, belief in yourself may be the extra ingredient that gets you over the top. The US women may or may not make it. They may not win the final, after all. The others may be better. Who knows. But we have confidence that they will give it their best, enthusiastic shot. And this is all that matters.
US Marines: “I can do it, you can do it”
A running song of the US Marines says cheerfully: “I can do it. You can do it. No sweat” . Another one says that if the Marine will die in the combat zone, “Tell my girl I did my best”. And to do indeed one’s best, one has to believe that “one can do it”. Just as Abby Wanbach said and jut as the US women soccer team demonstrated.
There is still a great reservoir of the old “I Can do it “spirit in America. If we only figure out how to tap it and release it, we may surprise ourselves as to how good we are.