peace........and the word "can't" don't go together

"Can't"Few words annoy me more.  Ok, my oldest son can attest I have a great distain for the flippant and overuse of the "F" word.  No disrespect to those who choose to use it, but in explaining it to my children, I state that those who do at nauseum are doing a gross injustice to the vast human vocabulary and perhaps need to expand their grasp of our language.  Substituting the "F" word is more to do with finding an alternative, however, than the destructive mind set that those who use "I can't" to explain away disappointments or obstacles in life.  Much more challenging.Whether sitting in session with clients or talking with my kids (or the kids I coach in track), hearing the words "I can't" makes me cringe.I had a 5th grade teacher tell me she thought I'd "never amount to anything in life"...... Seriously.  I remember not understanding what she meant, but remember thinking at this young age (coincidently the age of my youngest son) that I would prove her wrong.  I always had that tucked in the back of my mind, choosing to use her unkind words as source for motivation rather than allowing them to define who I was or who I was to become as a person.  I excelled in both undergraduate and graduate studies, and have been proud of my academic success.  Take that Ms. Marx! Yes, I can!I could have given up on being an athlete when I was cut from the cheerleading squad in junior high, oh wait.... I pretty much did.  For YEARS!  I played tennis a little in High School, but really, I gave up.  Looking back, I think it was easier to not try, and to say I "can't" then to push myself towards "I can." One day, after 34 years of living my life on the sidelines, I bought my first pair of running shoes, and decided I was a runner.  I started by running a block, walking a block, running a block..... Now 3 marathons, 7-8 half marathons, and several other mid distance races done....I am now see myself as an athlete!  Even when I feel sore, or tired, or slow, I still say, Yes! I am an athlete.  Yes, I can!"There is nothing you can't do, if you want it bad enough" Danielle Sibarium, For Always. So my frustration with "I can't" is simple.  It isn't a matter of "I can't", rather a matter of I don't want, or it's too difficult, or I don't know how....but seldom is it truly I "can't."  I believe wholeheartedly, I can do anything! If I want it bad enough.Have doubts about what humans are capable of accomplishing, even with seemingly insurmountable odds against them?  Watch Dick and Rick Hoyt- I guarantee you will not feel the same after you watch them.www.teamhoyt.comThis Father/Son team is amazing to watch.  I've seen them compete at Boston and the crowds go absolutely NUTS when they pass by the spectators.  They are not only a beautiful example of what the human spirit is capable of, but also a poetic display of true human love and compassion between a Father/Son.A few days ago, a fellow (but much more accomplished) runner friend of mine was asking me if I'd be interested in running a 8 day run in the Alps- starting in Austria and ending in Italy...... at first I thought....."is she seriously kidding me?" And then almost chuckled when she told me "Oh don't worry, it's in 2015, so you have time to prepare."Initially, I thought, Oh. My. Gosh.  She must be crazy!  After a full marathon I don't feel like I can walk one more step and this would be a full marathon for days and days and days on end.  Then, a loved one told me "Oh you can't do that...."SNAP!That is all the motivation I needed to consider it. Right now, I'm not feeling capable of it, but with the will, motivation, and the plan....who knows what I am capable of doing......Yes, we call can.One final quote....."You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." C.S. LewisAs I approach my next birthday, this is a good reminder.Peace, and Happy Wednesday.