We happily continued our stroll into familiar section of mall. An eerie silence ensued, which I was admittedly uncomfortable with. I couldn't resist breaking it.

"Aren't you gonna tell daddy what you wished for?"

She retorted "I wished I could get an ice-cream comb".

I just about lost it right then and there. Couldn't imagine what shoppers thought of this lunatic laughing uncontrollably in middle of a crowded mall. And needless to say, she got her wish, and two treats.

Little did I know then that my beautiful little girl would soon embark on a long road of seizures, surgeries, special schools, medications and end up partially paralyzed on her right side. She never learned to ride a bike.

Today, she is almost seventeen. She cannot use her right hand and walks with a noticeable limp. But she has overcome what life seemed to so cruelly inflict on her. She was teased a lot and always struggled in school, both socially and academically. But each year she showed improvement. She is planning a career in early childhood education. With one year still remaining in high school, her and I, one night not too long ago mapped out all courses she would need to take in community college. It was her idea. She volunteers weekly at a local hospital, on children's floor. She baby-sits a neighbors children five days a week. On her own this year, she stood outside in line for four hours on a cold Canadian January afternoon and enrolled herself, with her own babysitting money, into two courses she felt she would need for college.

You see, to her failure was never an option.

It would almost be redundant for me to explain why I wanted to share this story with you. She IS my daughter and I carry all those fatherly biases with me wherever I go. But these aside, she is a very exceptional person and one that I admire and have learned a lot from.

It is my sincerest hope that her story will have even a momentary positive impact on you as a human being, a parent, a spouse or even, an entrepreneur.

I'd like to leave you with a closing thought. As human beings, we deserve all treats, and multitude of good things that life can offer us. We all have wishes and dreams, AND power to make them reality. Just simple truths of universe.

We can wish for, and get, that ice-cream comb.

Rick is the author of 3 top-selling eBooks at: http://www.interniche.net/ebooks.htm and the purveyor of those amazing traveling billboards called I.D. IT! Plates: http://www.iditplates.net

I Will because I can I'll Do cause I believe The strength I need to make change Is deep inside of me I'll Walk where I have crawled I'll Run til I can fly My wings will fill with winds of change The moment I decide

The power of decision Is greatest force on earth Opening hidden doors To all universe The second you discover The strength that stirs in you You'll feel your dream within your grasp Because you said - I'll Do

I Will because I can I'll Do cause I believe The strength I need to make change Is deep inside of me I'll Walk where I have crawled I'll Run til I can fly My wings will fill with winds of change The moment I decide

The promise of tomorrow Is vow I make today New horizons will appear The moment that I say...

I Will because I can I'll Do cause I believe The strength I need to make change Is deep inside of me I'll Walk where I have crawled I'll Run til I can fly My wings will fill with winds of change The moment I decide

(c)1995 Lauric Songs BMI

Please bear in mind that this is a song lyric and as such does not allow for extended expression of say, an article, however, what is written here is in direct contrast to thinking, or worse, saying and acting out, "If" word. Or, "I'll try" instead of "I'll do".

Not one to heartily subscribe to much of mental exercise stuff found in books and on lecture circuit (after all, we are only human and hate exercise of any description), my advice is very simple. Whenever you catch yourself thinking, or saying "IF" word - STOP IT! Erase that mental blackboard image and rewrite it with an affirmative. Say, for example, "I WILL do this next time I am in same position". Make your thinking about that particular situation a valuable and positive lesson leaned.

As a matter of fact, biggest favor you can ever do for yourself is to change every negative thought into a proactive one. After all, we are what we think!

Hey, and every time that you hear real "F" word, think of "IF" word and fact that it's been removed from that garage door.

Rick is the author of 3 top-selling eBooks at: http://www.interniche.net/ebooks.htm and the purveyor of those amazing traveling billboards called I.D. IT! Plates: http://www.iditplates.net