If you read my blog regularly you will have noticed by now that I am a big fan of quotes.  Inspirational ones in particular.  Somehow they seem to sum up all of the stuff that goes round in my head on a daily basis in a very concise, succinct way.

Here’s one that I came across the other day:

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall”

I love this – it can be applied to so many things on so many levels.  For example, at the moment my 16 month old daughter is trying her very best to learn how to walk.  She has been studiously watching her two older sisters, and she keeps trying to put their shoes onto her own tiny feet.  She’s quite adept at standing up and holding on to the nearest convenient sofa or table or person’s leg, but up until a couple of days ago hadn’t been brave enough to let go and take a few steps on her own.  And then one morning she summoned up the courage, held her arms out for balance, took one step and… promptly fell on her bottom.  So she got up, and tried again.  And again.  And again.  And again.  Each time she fell, she sat for a minute and thought about it, then stood herself up with a determined look on her face, and kept trying.  Her persistance and resolve was quite astonishing to watch.  I bought her her first pair of shoes yesterday.  You’ll be pleased to know that she’s absolutely thrilled with them and is really getting the hang of it now – there’s no stopping her.

I think there is a very valuable lesson in this.  How many times have you tried something, only to give up at the first hurdle?  So many clients come to see me saying that they ”can’t” do something – can’t stick to a diet, can’t get over a broken relationship, can’t summon up the courage to stand up in front of 100 people to give a presentation…  By taking the word “can’t” out of our vocabulary, a whole world of possibilities opens up.  Suddenly, we can do things, we just have to keep trying.  Every time we fall (and notice that that says fall not fail, because there is no failure, only feedback) we just have to get up and try again.

I’ve fallen many times.  And each time, no matter how hard it has seemed, I have picked myself up, dusted myself down, and carried on.  I don’t regret the falls any more – I value what I’ve learnt from them.  I’ve got scars from those falls, both physical and emotional, and they are all part of the fabric of who I am.

So next time you hear yourself say “I can’t” (even if it’s just in your own head), tell yourself that you can.  You might be surprised at the result.