Failure...before you even try.

I can't.

I hate those two words - especially when they are uttered even before someone tries!!

Don't sell yourself short.  It's true, somethings you just can't do - but not before you try.  Sounds cliche and oversimplified, but you'd be surprised at how often you might do it without even knowing it. 

One thing I know for sure - your thoughts directly influence your reality. Negative thoughts encourage a negative reality and more importantly, positive thoughts produce a positive reality. 

I have often thought about why we tend to make excuses before we even try something.  I think sometimes we feel that if we verbalize to those around us that we can't do it even before we try, we protect ourselves from the actual failure just in case we can't do it.  For some reason, it seems to be becoming more and more unacceptable to have confidence in ourselves and our abilities.  We are seen as cocky or arrogant.  Yet when asked, most people would rate "confidence" high on their list of personality traits that they find attractive!  Maybe it doesn' t have to do with others... maybe it's a way to protect ourselves from disappointment if we try and fail, "well, I already knew I couldn't" - then at least you become right.

But does this really do any good in the long run?  Absolutely not!  Keep telling yourself you can't before you try and you will stunt your personal growth in so many ways.  What if someone isn't there (like me :)  to tell you that you can and force you to try it and you never do?  You become seriously limited in what even gets attempted.

You might ask, "OK, what about when I try and physically CAN"T?".  I say, "WHO CARES?!"   Focus on what you CAN do, not what you can't.  Give yourself credit for those accomplishments and goals you HAVE met - and one day that can't (with a few tries in between) will become a CAN!



Me!  January 2012  Whitehorn, Lake Louise
Photo by: Graham McKerrell

What if I had decided that "I can't ski big mountains anymore" after I blew my knee apart in the backcountry?  The thought crossed my mind for a second... But for those of you who know me well, what a seriously sad, limiting choice that would have been!  I can proudly say that I am skiing stronger, faster and better than ever and absolutely LOVE my weekends in the mountains.  They are part of who I am and what I look forward to every week.  Don't let your little "can't voice" creep in and take over.  CAN is much more fun ;)