If there was one word I could eliminate from the English language, it would have to be can’t.
No word has done so much to destroy the potential of human beings. It tears us down, helps us cover for our fears, and most of the time is a bald-faced lie.
It could almost completely be replaced by the word “won’t” for a more accurate depiction of what is truly meant.
When you tell yourself that you can’t do something, when you really mean that you won’t, your subconscious takes this as a sign that you’re incapable, when you are really just unwilling.
This little lie is how a limiting belief is formed.
Eventually, if you continue to feed your subconscious these signals that you are unable, you’ll believe this to be true. Then when you are faced with a situation in which you are completely capable and competent, your mind shuts you down, reminding you that you aren’t good enough, smart enough, strong enough, pretty enough, etc…
Like a baby elephant is trained that it can be restrained with a small rope around a stake. As the elephant grows, it would be able to easily break the rope or pull the stake out of the ground. But, because it believes that it can’t break the rope, it won’t even try.
Unless you are limited by the laws of physics, you CAN do anything. There might be consequences. It might take work. You might need to learn volumes of new things. You might even need to change things about yourself.
Can you become an astronaut?
Can you make a million dollars this year?
Can you learn to speak French?
Can you run a marathon?
Can you start a new business so you can quit the job you hate?
Can you stop eating unhealthy food?
Can you forgive the person who really hurt you?
The answer to all of these, and anything else you really want, is yes. You can. If you’re willing.
But if you’re not willing, don’t tell yourself you can’t. Be honest with yourself and admit that you aren’t ready to do what it will take, or that you need to improve or change something so you can, or that you just don’t honestly want to change.
Do your best today to eliminate “can’t” from your vocabulary. Think critically about what you have trained yourself to believe that you can’t do when you really just mean that you won’t.
Have a joyful day!
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