I can do more than I think I can.

I spent the past week rehabbing a house built in 1910. I spent a lot of time doing home repairs I never thought I could do, like sanding and hand staining hardwood floors. Throughout this process I learned something about myself...I CAN DO MORE THAN I THINK I CAN.

using a hand sander on the stairs

And that led me to wonder something....

How often do we allow limiting beliefs about ourselves and our abilities, limit what we actually do? 

"I don't know how to fix that."

"I'm not flexible enough for yoga."

"I'm not good at public speaking."

"I could never give up ________ for my health" (fill in the blank with your food vice of choice. The ones I hear the most are cheese or sugar). 

But what if we actually do know how, but have never tried? What if we can actually do those things that we've always been told we can't or have told ourselves that we can't? 

So much of our abilities have to do with what we tell ourselves we can or cannot do. What if we choose to replace "I can't" or "I don't know how" with "I'll learn how" or "I can try" or even (gasp) "I CAN do that"? I imagine, we will find, like I did this past week, that we CAN do more than we think we can. 

finished product after staining

When we are told or we think we can't, we feel limited and defeated. But when we declare....

"I CAN do yoga."

"I CAN fix things." 

"I CAN change my eating habits to more healthy choices." 

"I CAN go out on a limb and share my story with others through public speaking."

"I CAN do ________ (whatever it is that we've been saying - or others have been telling us we can't)"......

........then we feel empowered. 

So here's my challenge to you: 

Say, "I CAN!" and "I WILL!" 

Do it for yourself. Do it for your emotional, physical, and spiritual health. Be empowered and empower others with your story.