Stupid words: I can’t. I say them and then, later, question them.

When we’re kids, we’re read the story, The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper (Platt & Munk publishers):

A little railroad engine was employed about a station yard for such work as it was built for, pulling a few cars on and off the switches. One morning it was waiting for the next call when a long train of freight-cars asked a large engine in the roundhouse to take it over the hill “I can’t; that is too much a pull for me,” said the great engine built for hard work. Then the train asked another engine, and another, only to hear excuses and be refused. At last in desperation the train asked the little switch engine to draw it up the grade and down on the other side. “I think I can,” puffed the little locomotive, and put itself in front of the great heavy train. As is went on the little engine kept bravely puffing faster and faster, “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.”

Then as it near the top of the grade, that had so discouraged the larger engines, it went more slowly, but still kept saying, “I–think–I–can, I–think–I–can.” It reached the top by dint of brave effort and then went on down the grade, congratulating itself, “I thought I could, I thought I could.”

To think of hard things and say, “I can’t” is sure to mean “Nothing done.” To refuse to be daunted and insist on saying, “I think I can,” is to make sure of being able to say triumphantly by and by, “I thought I could, I thought I could.”

I’ve always loved that story. It’s about believing in yourself. It’s about optimism. It’s about pushing through the hard times and making it work.

So, why can’t I? Why do I say I can’t when I probably can if I tackle it from a different angle. I doubt there is really very much that I can’t do.

It drives me crazy when I do that. It makes me angry when I limit myself like that.

I am disappointed in myself when I want to do something and I find that I can’t do it. I know that if someone else is counting on me, that person will be disappointed, too.

I need to focus on this…

I think I can. I think I can.

I know I can.