I Can--Can You?

By , SparkPeople Blogger
I Can’t is a cloak that failure wears.  It’s actually one of failure's favorite outfits, as a matter of fact.  It’s the first thing failure pulls out in the morning when the alarm goes off.  It starts something like this:

"I can’t get up!  I’m too tired, it’s too cold, too dark, too early!  I’m too sore, too old for this!  I don’t have energy.  I didn’t sleep enough. The blankets are so warm, the pillow so soft.  I Can’t do this!" So you hit the snooze button and skip another workout.  Failure wins that battle.

Once you do get up, the war begins anew with reminders of how you messed up on things already.  Failure whispers, “You didn’t eat well yesterday – what’s one more day?  You can always start over tomorrow, or next week.  You don’t have time to fix a healthy breakfast.  You can drive thru XYZ and pick up that cinnamon roll you love.” 
Failure lies and tells you this will make you feel better.

Before you know it the whole day has been lost to I Can’t thoughts, and failure overwhelms your mood and emotions. How many days have you lived like this?

Success on the other hand wears I Can.  She thrives on optimism in all the small daily chores.  She recognizes will power, faith, strength, and new opportunities in every moment.  She doesn’t remind you of previous mistakes or encourage you to fail.  She is supportive, kind, and whispers things like “yes, you can”!

So who is the voice you choose to listen to?  Whose thoughts do you embrace each day?
Part of maintenance for me is recognizing on a routine basis which of these two players I give my power to.  It is a choice when you relinquish your will to the I Can’t lifestyle.  It’s also a choice to change your mind to I Can any moment of any day.  One thing I like to remind myself if I fall into the I Can’t camp is that I’m the one who decides to purchase a ticket to ride on the guilt train, and I can choose to get off at any stop.  I can leave the excess baggage of past failure on that train and step off a free person.  That decision in itself is a step into the direction of success.

Which direction are you going today?  Are you hanging out with guilt, saying I Can’t and letting failure take another day of your life?  Start with one I Can statement now.  Post one thing that you can say I Can about today and let’s build a string of successes together.  It’s time now to start believing in yourself!