There is a phrase that I despise! My children are not ever allowed to say it and I cringe whenever I hear it used in just about any form. I can't. Do you have any idea how powerful the things we think and say are? It is what we say and think that forms who we are and affects all that we do in this life. My children are allowed to ask for help. They are allowed to say something is hard. They are even allowed to say they just do not want to do something. The one thing they are never, ever allowed to say is, "I can't."
"I can't" suggests defeat. It suggests that you are not capable. It weakens you.
When I hate to hear this phrase the most is in the land of health and fitness. I hear people say they cannot do a given exercise all the time. When they say that, I know they will never be able to accomplish it. They have already set up in their minds that it is not possible and now their body will never get there. When I first started at Boot-Camp Diva, I was not strong enough to do even one push-up. Yesterday, I did 100 push-ups. If I had told myself that I could not do it on day one, I never would have gotten there. To say, "I am not there yet or My body is just not strong enough." is one thing. Saying, "I can't" is a whole other story. How many times have you offered someone something to eat and they say, "I can't have that. I am on a diet."? Even my fellow Divas whom I love dearly say this. What's the big deal? Well, when we think or say we cannot have something to eat, it leads to a thought pattern of deprivation. A healthy eating plan now becomes a punishment for being fat. I think more people would be living healthy, fit lives if they stopped saying, "I can't" and instead, had the attitude that it is a choice. When someone offers me bread or pasta, I just offer up a "no thank-you." Because I CAN have it, but I am CHOOSING not to. When I go into a workout that is more challenging than my body can handle right now, I do not think about how I can't do this. I think ahead, with excitement, to the day I will be doing that very workout and asking for more.
So, what are you going to choose today? Are you going to choose to make healthy food choices and push your body to do what it can or are you going to sit back and keep telling yourself you can't do it. When in reality, you are choosing to not do what you need to do to live a full, healthy life.
