Whether I say I can or say I can’t, either way I will probably be right.
Think about those words. They are saying to us that the choice is ours. Yes, I can; no, I can’t. What is your choice going to be?
Too often we give that decision-making to others. As children, we heard parents say numerous times, “you can’t do that.”
Usually that instruction was in our best interests, a warning about pending danger or a word of advice garnered from experience. We knew our parents loved us and would not betray our trust. Then, as we matured, the natural response was any action which opposed authority. Dad can’t tell me what to do, my teacher can’t make me do it, my preacher can’t tell me what’s right or what’s wrong. It was a healthy, self-discovery process which wet our feet in the world of hard knocks and errors. And we survived, did we not?
Parents no longer direct your life. Educators and preachers have given you a means of earning a living and a moral compass by which to live. So, you are well equipped to face life on life’s terms, right? You are confident in your decisions, right? You do not doubt your own intuition and rational thinking, right? You know that who you are today is as perfect as you can be today, you are worthy, right? You can do anything which you set your mind to doing, right?
Any ‘no’ answers to the above dialog are wrong. ‘I can’t’ is unacceptable because today, in this moment, I have the tools within to accomplish anything I attempt. No, we’re not talking about physical feats, performing miracles, climbing Mt. Everest, or entering a marathon. My body, not my mind, tells me ‘no’ to those endeavors.
Recently, after years of jogging and hiking, my knees and hip said, “No more.” X-rays indicated that age, wear and tear had deteriorated those joints to a painful reminder with every movement. “I can’t,” was my mantra for about 6 months accompanied by serious depression and stress. At age 71, I was ready for the transition to the next phase. That, however, was not what happened.
In a motivation video on YouTube, the voice speaking said, “Don’t lament what you can no longer do; rather, focus on what you can do.”
Really? That was the jumpstart necessary to regroup and redefine who Larry is. Not a jogger, not a hiker, not even a brisk walker. Instead, this body discovered yoga, isometric exercises, low impact aerobic workouts that it could do. Our minds can carry us over any hurdles when we allow the ‘can do’ attitude to direct us. I can do this, you can too. What will your answer be today? “Yes, I can,” or “No, I can’t.” It’s your choice.
When we say, “I can,” inner strength will provide the means to fulfill those determined words. You and I were designed magnificently in the same image as all of creation. We were intended to be survivors in a sometimes heartless world. When we say, “I can’t”, we are admitting defeat without a battle and we are denying the divine strength within us. The Lord of my life, the force which you trust as a greater power whether you name it God, Allah, the One, Brahman or Higher Power will honor the words, “Yes, I can.”
lpb - quest 