The Worst Phrase Ever

A little quickie for your Monday morning: The worst phrase, just about ever, is “I can’t do that because… ”

I’ve been hearing that a fair bit lately, or I’ve been noticing more lately.

Mostly it’s others saying it, but sometimes it’s – in one for or another – in my head.

When we say I can’t do something it’s this amazing little package of dream-killing-soul-crushing perfection. We have a pretty idea of what we want, but we disallow it happening – and explain why.

There’s very little our heart can do when our head has made up its mind, and developed a reason why (not).

What to do?

If nothing else, don’t say it.

You don’t have to say ” I can do this… ,” but for the love of Pete don’t concern yourself with what you think you can’t do, and add some fantasy about why not.

Similar Posts

  • What I Do

    Work is changing. Life is changing. Much of what worked before simply won’t anymore. Whether you know it or not, you’re playing two games. The first is the Outer Game – this is what you do, your profession, your career, your job. The other is the Inner Game. The Inner Game is what will (really) make…

  • Healthy Thoughts

    The root of all health is in the brain. The trunk of it is in emotion. The branches and leaves are the body. The flower of health blooms when all parts work together. – Kurdish saying Your thoughts create your emotions and your emotions fuel your actions. Good health begins with healthy thoughts. What do…

  • What People Want From Leaders*

    Trustworthy. Respectable. Admirable. *  *  * Leadership, more than anything, is a personal relationship between leader and led. It’s not a hierarchical relationship, where one person has power and the other none. Sure, a leader must be technically savvy and proficient, s/he must know “the business,” but at its core, its most fundamental, leadership is…

  • Expectations and Agreements

    One of my mentors (Steve Chandler) offers a powerful distinction useful in just about every area of life: expectations vs. agreements. Most of us have expectations. Expectations about how life should go and how people should behave. Invariably, many of these expectations are not met. As a result we are disappointed, frustrated and upset. We…