The other day, I came across a fascinating article about a shark attack that took place back in 1916 along the northeastern coast of the U.S. The story centered around a great white shark that had been terrorizing the beaches of New Jersey.
Now, everyone knows that sharks are sea creatures, and they need saltwater to survive. So, the idea that a shark might attack in freshwater was something no one even considered. Yet, that’s exactly what happened later that year.
This particular shark had been staying close to shore and eventually swam up a river near Raritan Bay, where it attacked a couple of bathers further upstream.
Just before the attacks, a retired sea captain named Thomas Cottrell was crossing a bridge and saw the shark swimming upstream. He couldn’t believe his eyes, but he quickly got in his boat and raised the alarm. Unfortunately, no one took him seriously. “A shark in a river? That’s impossible,” they said.
But as unbelievable as it seemed, there was a shark in the river, and those who ignored the warning were in serious danger.
The shark went on to kill two people. The first victim was a teenager, who may or may not have heard Cottrell’s warning. Not long after that, another man jumped into the water to search for the first victim, despite being told there was a shark in the river. He too was attacked and died from blood loss.
Reading this, I couldn’t help but think about the parallels with the events of September 11, 2001.
When the U.S. Congress and media questioned the FBI and CIA about the warning signs that were ignored before the attacks, the response was, “We didn’t think they would use airplanes as missiles.”
If the FBI and CIA had believed that something like 9/11 could happen, they might have taken steps to prevent it. But they didn’t, even though the hijackers left behind plenty of “clues.”
Similarly, if the swimmers along the East Coast had believed Captain Cottrell when he warned them about the shark in the river, chances are that no one would have died that day. But because they thought it was “impossible” for a shark to be in freshwater, they ignored the warning, just like the FBI and CIA dismissed the possibility of an airborne attack, leading to tragedy.
On the flip side, there are countless stories of people who overcame the odds and achieved remarkable things. Every day, we hear about individuals who were told by experts that they didn’t have what it took—yet they succeeded anyway.
The lesson here is simple: Anything is possible, both the good and the bad. Believing—or not believing—doesn’t mean you won’t be affected by what happens. However, your belief can shape your actions, and those actions may either protect you from disaster or help you escape from a bad situation.
Many of us find ourselves in difficult circumstances—whether it’s poverty, unhappiness, debt, or something else. Those who have changed their situation did so because they believed they could.
On the other hand, those who haven’t changed their situation likely don’t believe they can. Otherwise, they would have taken action by now, right?
Think about how many opportunities you’ve missed just because you thought something wouldn’t work or wasn’t possible. What could you achieve if you truly believed that you could do anything—even realize your dreams?
What talents or potential do you have that you haven’t acted on, simply because you believed you couldn’t?
I hope this article helps you see that anything is possible. By simply believing, “I can,” you’ve already won half the battle.
