I believe in you, Dave! (Inspirational self-talk for struggling students) One of my favourite movie musicals is Frank Loesser's whimsical How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying. There's one great number when the puckish hero, J Pierrepont Finch (Robert Morse), gives himself a pep talk in front of the mirror in the executive washroom of the Worldwide Wickets Company (having managed to wangle his way up from the humble position of window-cleaner to high-flying executive "without really trying"). "I believe in you," he sings. "Oh, I believe in you."
I always thought that kind of self-talk was a bit lame. A bit too "Oprah".
But I talk to myself a lot these days. I find myself in the washroom at school, looking at myself in the mirror and saying, "You can do this, Dave." I've even thought about getting one of those mugs emblazoned with some cheesey slogan that tells you what a superhero you are. Sometimes, at least in my career, you need that kind of self-encouragement.
Anyway, I just caught myself talking again. This time it's an assignment that's due in. I need to get it finished over the next few nights, and with 5:30am starts in the mornings, what I can afford of my evenings tends to evaporate pretty quick. It wasn't a "You can do this, Dave," or an "I believe in you," this time. No, when I talked to myself this time, it was what every student needs to hear when he's in one of those wish-I-could-turn-back-the-clock moments: "Waffle, Dave, waffle!"
It actually works, wouldn't you know.
I have a straight two-hour run till ten o'clock. I know where I'm going with this thing. I could have the best part of it licked.
Waffle, Dave, waffle.
8:06:39 PM 
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