If You Think You Can’t

Henry Ford is often credited with saying “if you think you can’t , or you think you can, you’re right"

Yes, he of car building fame was a pretty wise man.

On the surface, this little gem of genius makes no sense.

It’s only when you dig a little deeper and pull the quote apart does it start to become obvious and that this simple sentence reflects on everything we do, or don’t do, in life.

As a coach I’d often hear

I can’t do press ups
I can’t eat healthy
I can’t lose 10lb
I can’t go meat free for May
I can’t write a book
I can’t start my own business.
I can’t eat Brussels sprouts.
I can’t grow my legs

Oh, those last two are just me 

But can you see that by starting off on a negative you’re doomed to fail from the get go.

Sure, you may have tried in the past and it didn’t quite work out.

But that it doesn’t mean you won’t succeed this time. If you give it your honest, unbiased best shot. You never know what could happen.

However you will fail if you live by the mantra of

I can’t do it.
It won’t work.
What if it goes wrong?

It becomes a self fulfilling prophecy where your attitude and actions result in what you believe to become true.

You thought you would fail, therefore you do.

You thought it wouldn’t work, therefore it won’t.

Maybe I’m just all kinds of stubborn and won’t give up on the things I believe in or are important to me. I’ll keep working at them until I’ve accomplished my goals.

Or maybe I just like to prove other people wrong.

But it’s not just me.

Muhammad Ali
Bruce Lee
Roger Banister
Eddie Hall
Thomas Edison
Richard Branson
Neil Armstrong

Would not of gone on to achieve what they did if they had entertained doubt. Or didn’t think they could do it.

Even when, at times they were breaking new boundaries and it had never been done before, they set about their goals and dreams and did everything they could to make it work.

Sure they may of failed the first time. Sometimes more than once. But they did not give up on their goals and dreams.

And there’s no reason that you can’t achieve amazing things too.

But know one thing.

It will come at a cost.

It’ll require hard work, dedication, and the willingness to work towards that goal.

And it may require you getting out of your own head for a while and not listening to what you think you know will happen.

Basically tell the negative committee in your head to pipe the fug down.

And when you give something your honest, unbiased effort, it will be oh so worth it when you reap the rewards.

Ultimately, how do you know what you’re capable of if you don’t even try?

Cuz in the words of Eminem “you can do anything you set your mind to”

Have an amazing day.

Lv MK