The host asked each guest to provide their personal advice for finding success. They used words like hard work, perseverance, planning ... all of which are important, however the advice that really caught my attention and resonated with me came from a woman who started a candy company in her garage. She said ...
"Don't embrace the word 'can't'. Remove it from your vocabulary. Can't, she said, is a word that can stop you cold."
How true. Can't can definitely be a deal-breaker. It can stop you before you even get started. I know. I've watched people 'can't' themselves right out of great opportunities, not only in business, but in their personal lives, as well.
I've often felt that lurking behind heavy use of the word 'can't' is a heavy dose of fear. Not that fear is always a bad thing; it's not. Sometimes being fearful simply means making good use of the sense God gave us. Fear is bad when it:
*Blocks the realization of hopes and dreams due to a lack of confidence
*Inhibits our ability to step out on faith trusting that the Father has our backs
*Keeps us chained to situations, places and/or people when change is clearly needed
Some years ago one of my friends wanted to open a coffee shop. He had dreamed about it, talked about it, and had begun planning for it, but was constantly second guessing everything ... "What if I can't get ...; I can't see how that will work ...; I can't do ...:" and on and on.
Mind you, this individual had many elements of success within his grasp ... he had almost all the financing necessary, friends who would help him, and good business sense. The only thing he lacked was confidence.
If you guessed the coffee shop never happened, you're right. Now I understand that perhaps it was a dream never meant to be; the problem is that there's always been a great deal of regret on his part for not following through when he had the opportunity. Although he's never admitted it to his friends, I think he regrets that fear was allowed to take control, and that unconsciously 'can't' became the rallying cry for 'don't'. Can't and don't won.
At the end of the day, 'going for it' is pretty important. Living life to the fullest means always trying to let courage, not fear take the lead. If it's something you really want ... don't allow that debilitating word ... you know which one ... stop you.