Decide That You Can

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The new year has me all jacked up on motivation. I had totally intended to write something else today, but I was listening to an episode of one of my favorite podcasts and one line hit me in the face like a sledgehammer.

DECIDE THAT YOU CAN.

Whoa. I don't know if you felt it like I did, but I hope so.

I've had to become a motivational speaker for myself the last few years, so please excuse the soapbox moment.

How many times are our dreams thwarted because we're so mired in the sludge of "I can't"?

The Can'ts. That dark place that sucks the light out of your goals.

The Can'ts. The fear tinged air that poisons the smell of happiness you want.

The Can'ts. The parasite that makes you too heavy and hesitant to even consider taking that first step toward where you want to be.

The Can'ts are a disease. They infect your life, shadowing the hope that you can accomplish your goals.

But shine some light out in that darkness. Even if YOU think you can't, decide that you can!

Think about why you're scared. 

Is it because you're afraid of what people will think?

Ask yourself: How do your decisions affect them? Do they live in your house? Will your decisions harm them in any way? If they don't live under your roof and you're only worried about what they say, then put that fear aside. Their opinions don't pay your bills. Their opinions are stifling you. Their opinions are just that... their opinions. Not YOUR opinions. Don't forget the fun of proving people wrong. They say, "You can't." You just tell them, "Oh yeah? Watch me." 

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Are you afraid of failure?

Are you afraid of success?

Yeah, that last one is legit, as crazy as it sounds. Some people are afraid for good things to happen because they think they aren't worthy. Let me tell you something. YOU ARE WORTHY. You are a fantastic creature who brings something to this world, something that would be missed. You are just as worthy as anyone. 

Now, fear of failure. That's something I think we all have. BUT think about this... if you don't even TRY, you've already failed. You've given in to The Can'ts! You let them win! You can't do that!

And honestly, what's the worst thing that can happen if you DO TRY? Yeah, it might not work, but you can TRY AGAIN! There's not a try quota. Failure isn't a bad thing. It's a learning process. You just learned something that doesn't work, but there are other ways to go about it. There are a lot more letters than just A in the alphabet. If Plan A doesn't work, move on to Plan B. Or C. Or X.

DECIDE THAT YOU CAN!!

It is absolutely crazy how a change in mindset can fuel your fire to get out there and make stuff happen. And it's contagious. It's like a plague. A plague of positivity, which is the best kind of plague, if you ask me. You're going to see that you approach things differently. You're going to smile more. You're going to make others smile more. You're going to wind up being an encouragement to others. You're going to grow as a person in ways you never even thought about. 

Where have The Can'ts infiltrated your life? 

Find the knot hole where they crept in and plug it up. Don't let them in. Now turn on the trusty flashlight you have called "What If." Shine that dude around.

What if I just did a little bit?

What if I researched the first steps to what I need to do?

What if I just started the business anyway?

What if I worked out just one day to see if I liked it?

What if we started saving money so we can buy that new car or house on this small income?

What if it worked???

"What if" will soon evolve into Hope. Hope will grow into Excitement. Excitement will spur on the Work. And Work will bring you Success.

It's that easy.

DECIDE THAT YOU CAN.

One little change of thought can change your whole world. Can. 

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You CAN. And you know what, you WILL.

But it all boils down to that first decision. So... what will you decide?