No such word as “can’t”

Growing up, my father would always say “there is no such word as can’t”.  He never let us get away with the litany of excuses we would create and would instead tell us we could do anything!   My reaction to hearing that in the early years was frustration because it often referred to chores or some task I didn’t really want to do, but now could not get out of. 

As I got older, I started hearing “I can’t” come out of my mouth when faced with a difficult math problem or uncomfortable situation.  Then hearing “there is not such word as can’t” took on a different meaning.  It forced me out of my comfort zone, to work through problems and find solutions around obstacles.  Still, at a young age I did not like hearing those words!

Fast forward to today and I realize just how much of an impact those words have had on my life.  They helped me grow and challenge myself to learn new skills, push through some very difficult times and have served as a foundation of the growth of my business. 

What if you shifted your thoughts and words from “I can’t” to “I can” – if you hear “I can” often enough, you will begin to believe it!

Garden Power

The other day I attended a Garden Power party.  What was it?  A gathering of friends to help plant a new garden for Ira Thompson at her house in Cary.  Ira considers herself an “indoor person” but she loves to look at the beauty of nature.  So she knew that to have a beautiful garden she would need to enlist the help of others – and she did just that!

Ira offered what she is known for – amazing food and fun!  She created a spread of breakfast and lunch goodies to feed those who attended and asked that each friend just bring a pair of gardening gloves and be ready to get dirty.  One friend is a landscape designer, Mary Liljequist of Earthly Delights Landscape Design in Raleigh.  She supplied the design and layout for Ira’s garden – lots of beauty and low maintenance for this “indoor girl” and everyone knew just what to do when they arrived. 

What a great time we had, being in nature, helping a good friend, reconnecting with some and making wonderful new connections with all who were there!  Asking for help is something many of us shy away from, but it is something we all need to do more often!

What are you ready to ask for help with?

Resistance to the New

Well, I did it, I am officially doing something I have been resisting for quite a while now, I am Tweeting on Twitter!

For months as I heard my friends and colleagues talking about this fun new social media tool, many thoughts were going through my head like “it will take too much time, I don’t know how it works and don’t have time to find out right now, it’s not for me, I don’t need it – and especially I won’t know what to write”.  The same excuses came up before I began writing articles each month, before joining Facebook, before writing my Workbook and before starting this blog.

Isn’t it interesting how easy it is to come up with a list of excuses when we don’t want to do something?  So what’s the real reason for my resistance to stepping into the new (technology, strategies, etc)?   I know it has something to do with putting myself out there publicly.  You see, in my not too distant past I would prefer to remain in the background listening to and seeing others express themselves all the while in awe of their ability and courage to do that.

Being a coach, I am always encouraging my clients to stretch out of their comfort zones which compells me to consistently do the same myself.   So, how do I know when I am ready to make the leap and stretch into something new instead of continuing to resist it?    For me, it’s when the curiosity of doing it and thoughts of possibilities it might bring start showing up more often.  When that happens, I jump in!

How do you know when you are ready to leap into something new?