When you feel like you can't...

Have you ever found yourself wishing you could do something that you know you simply cannot do? I find myself in that situation quite often. I have this idea that I can do all the things that come into my mind, and for lack of talent or simple know how, I say, I can't, and I let those ideas fade away. 

Well, about a month ago I attended my nephew's 5th grade promotion ceremony, and while it was truly a joyous occasion, it was also a learned one. The principal of his elementary school shared a message with the rising 6th graders that resonated with me more than I think it should have. She basically said that in life you are going to encounter challenges that will prove to be difficult to master or overcome, but instead of saying, I can't and giving up, add another word to that negative response that will change your perspective, and that word is YET. So instead of saying "I can't", say "I can't YET. 

Sometimes we fail to give ourselves time to learn, to adjust, to grow, because we respond with I can't. A statement that ultimately means we give ourselves permission to stop when stopping should not be an option. The principal went on to say that, "Our words act as maps to our world." I'm sure I've heard this mantra before, but on this day, I heard it and received it, and I started to think, what kind of map had I created for my world by saying those two words, I can't? I left that day with a new challenge of my own: That while life is not going to always go in the direction I want it to, my words will help me change direction. My words are the map to my future. They help me set my goals for life. Her message, a lesson for all ages, was both simple and powerful, and I am thankful that my mind was still enough to receive it.