Do What You Cannot Do

In her book You Learn by Living: Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life, Eleanor Roosevelt said, “You must do the things you think you cannot do.”

What is it that you think you cannot do? What do you actually believe you cannot do?

Is it true that you cannot do all of those things?

The list of things you really cannot do is actually much smaller than the list you believe you cannot do.

So where did that list of “things I cannot do” come from?

Sometimes those things actually come from having failed at something, but mostly they come from people telling you that you cannot do it and you believing them.

Not Enough

It’s true. How often have you said “I’d like to do _____” and had someone say, “Oh, you can’t do that. You’re not ______ enough.”

Now, maybe you have been lucky in life and never had anyone tell you such a thing, but for most people, that is a familiar dialog. You say you would like to do it and someone tells you that you aren’t good enough or smart enough or fast enough or young enough or whatever enough to do it.

And, because those people are “experts” or are people who supposedly care about you or know more than you or some other qualification, you believe what they say and you don’t even try to do it. After all, they wouldn’t discourage you from doing what you are capable of, right?

Wrong.

It’s Discouraging

People will discourage you for all sorts of reasons. Often they really believe that they have your best interest at heart.

• Sometimes they don’t want you to be disappointed if you do fail (which they are expecting you to do).
• Sometimes they don’t want you to try something because it will be difficult or take money or take a lot of time or whatever and even might inconvenience them, so they don’t want you to start down that path.
• Sometimes they are jealous that you might actually be able to do something that they would like to do but are afraid to try.
• Sometimes they are jealous that you might actually be able to do something that they have already failed to do.
• Sometimes they really don’t believe that anyone can do what you would like to do.

And there are lots of other reasons too.

Now What

So what do you do?

Ask yourself some questions:

• Is this really something that you would like to do?
• Are you willing to do it even if the naysayers don’t support you?
• Are you ready to stick with it?

If it’s something you have been led to believe is impossible, ask yourself if you are willing to change that belief. Are you ready to do what it takes to go against it?

And if you aren’t ready, that’s OK. You aren’t wrong. There are lots of other things you can do, you don’t always have to go against the stream and fight. Life does not have to be a constant battle.

However, if there is something you are ready and willing to do, then find people to support you! Gather your team, your tribe, so you have people to lean on when the going gets tough and you want to quit. Those people are out there! Get a coach, get experts and mentors to help you.

And do what you are called or led to do. Follow the whispers of the universe to what you are here to do.

As Paula Abdul said, “Break the rules, stand apart, ignore your head, and follow your heart.”

Follow your heart. It knows.

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