To my mind, it’s the worst word there is.
It’s one that goes through me more than any other word.
On the odd occasion that I hear my kids say it, I come down on them like a tonne of bricks.
It’s the C-Word.
Can’t!
It’s the most dis-empowering word that there is.
Saying, “I can’t” absolves the sayer of any responsibility for their inability to do something.
But it’s one we are taught to use on a regular basis from a young age.
It’s the word, that if you eliminate it from your vocabulary, you will see an immediate change in the way you view things and in what you can achieve.
Whenever Oli, my eldest son, says it, I give him “the look”.
He soon remembers that it’s not an acceptable response to whatever is happening at that point.
And he changes it to “I don’t know what to do” or “This is difficult Daddy, can you help me?”.
This paradigm shift is something I try and encourage in members at RISE too.
When they change the way they phrase a problem from “I can’t” to something else, it empowers them to make the changes.
“I can’t get into regular exercise” becomes “I haven’t adjusted by habits in the best way”.
“I can’t eat that” becomes “What can I eat that is better than what I’m eating at the moment?”.
“I can’t do anymore” becomes “It’s challenging, but I can do it”.
And so on.
Anything that is humanly possible, you CAN do.
If someone doesn’t want to do something, or they’d rather prioritize their time and money elsewhere, then that is cool.
It’s their life and their choice.
However, I’ll always dispute and argue any use of the word “Can’t”.
When you accept that you CAN, it becomes much easier to do it.
If you feel that you can’t do something – ask yourself if you could if your life depended on it.
If you doctor told you that you would definitely die next time you had cereal for breakfast, or missed a workout or whatever, then would you accept your impending death or would you make the change?
If the answer is change, then you can do it.
To not do it would be saying “I can do it, but can’t be bothered / don’t want to / don’t think it’s worth it”.
Try saying that next time you feel you that you “can’t” and see how it changes what you CAN do.
Much love,
Jon “I can do it” Hall
