Time and time again, as I work with communities and organizations across the state of Indiana, I often hear the unsettled cries of "we can't because..." Lifetimes of examples in history provide us the proof that "where there is a will, there is a way." It seems that people often placate themselves by putting on a pair of blackened goggles so that they cannot see past the end of their nose; not to mention, the great things that are happening all around them.

What makes us become so blindsided by our own perceived truths? What makes our sight so dim to what is possible? In the global economy of today, it is not only businesses that must be creative against its competition, it is also true for communities, counties, states, and even countries. In the world of tourism, we are all competing to show the world, that what we have is unique. We must jump completely "outside of the box," take off our blackened goggles, and truly examine what is possible.

Therefore, for those of you who might say, "we don't have time" or "we don't have the money" or "we can't do that, because we've never done it that way before," please keep these under your hat. These are the "Big Elephants in the Room" that we all know about. We know they are there, but are they worthy to become an excuse? It is important not to allow these common "stumbling blocks of life" to get in the way of our tourism efforts for Greene County.

In every community, organization, business, or lifestyle these limitations exist. So my question is why should we allow these limitations to dictate our efforts, our decisions, and our progress. Rather, I encourage you to identify what we can do, what we might try to see if it works, and what you can offer regardless of how small or insignificant that you have deemed it to be. I would venture to say that you will be surprised by what we can actually do when this approach is taken. There are already about 25 that have made this commitment to the Greene County Tourism effort. We invite you to join us at the next meeting on Thursday, Nov. 5 at Bloomfield Public Library from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Come take some "baby steps" with us. (Big Elephants and Blackened Goggles are not welcome.)