Will, the protagonist of The Can’t Monster, is based on me…sort of. Allow me to explain:
The Can’t Monster isn’t a true story, and yet it’s a story that is very real to me. My various attempts to climb mountains, more figurative than literal, have tested my courage, my perseverance, and my resilience. Along the way, I’ve succumbed to fear, frustration, and a sense of powerlessness (futility, for the sake of alliteration) more times than I’d like to admit.
Fear — the fear of failure, in particular — has kept me from trying things that could have been rewarding. Frustration, a near-constant companion, has convinced me to give up on ventures great and small. The recurring thought that I’m too small, too weak, and/or too unimportant to affect meaningful change has prevented me from reaching my potential.
All of these are common, and sometimes justifiable, feelings. However, a resilient person can deal with them and keep them in perspective. When the Can’t Monster is calling the shots, perspective is lost. Even minor obstacles begin to seem insurmountable. Hope wanes, and self-confidence falters.
“If things are bad and can’t get better, then why keep going?”
“Why try, if you’re destined to fail?”
“Why fight, if you know you can’t win?”
I’ve heard this voice too many times. The Can’t Monster wins when “fight or flight” is reduced to just flight. Giving up is not just the best option, the monster says, but the only viable one.
At a critical juncture in The Can’t Monster, Will listens to this voice. Soaked by the rain, fatigued by the climb, and pricked by briars, he decides to turn back. Most of us would, too, if in his shoes.
But when he gets home, he doesn’t want to own up to his own failure. Instead, he relates a fantastical tale of a menacing monster who compelled him to give up his quest. Admitting that we’ve been overcome by adversity, or that we just fell short of the mark, is tough.
This makes Will relatable. It really doesn’t matter if Will truly believed he saw a monster, or whether he just made it up. The important thing is that he blamed the monster for his decision to turn back.
The Can’t Monster provides a convenient excuse for our failure, or for not even trying something in the first place. It takes more than a little maturity to acknowledge that the Can’t Monster is in your head — and mine.
I don’t judge Will for giving up. Rare is the person who has never been overwhelmed by circumstances or deterred by obstacles. For most of us, quitting is a part of life. It just shouldn’t be allowed to define our lives.
Where we can all be inspired by Will is that he didn’t sit in his room and cry. He reflected on what had happened that day. By doing so, he realized that he’d lost his nerve…his will. I’ve been there.
Then, with help from his father, he did something about it. That’s the difficult part, and it’s one of the reasons I was determined to see this project through. We can all benefit from the reminder that the Can’t Monster only wins if it undermines our willingness to try –.and then to try again, and again, and again, if necessary.
Chris
Buy your copy today via Amazon or Barnes & Noble. FYI: the paperback measures 6.5″ square, whereas the hardcover edition is 8″ square.
The Can't Monster 