Nov. 7, 2019

Yes, You Can

Dr. M. Scott Peck, late psychiatrist and author of numerous excellent books mentioned a secret we can all apply to make significant improvements in all areas of our lives. One day a patient left his office, got into her car to go, and couldn't move the gear shift lever. She returned to Dr. Peck's office. Well, he felt helpless with such a mechanical problem he envisioned. 

As Peck pointed out in his book, Further Along the Road Less Traveled rather than settling with the old excuse, "I can't," he decided that there was a chance to test his advice. He went to the car and spent moment after moment trying to figure out how to unjam the gear shift lever. Finally, he did it! His advice was, rather than saying, "I can't," take time to do the thing you think you can't." Eventually, you can do just about anything you intend to accomplish.

Decades ago, I recalled never saying, "I can't remember names." Was it ego or just plain refusing to admit what I was not proficient at doing? I decided to take up an offer to attend a series of classes (Dale Carnegie Course) in which the promotion used the "how to remember names" as a calling card. After a few sessions, each person was instructed to change their names to demonstrate how to remember names. I made a perfect score on the test! I realized that I could recall names by using the right strategy.

By not self-talking ourselves with "I can't," take the time to learn.  It will work in all areas of our lives, whether personal or business. The trick is to take the time to learn. In most cases, you can. (Bonus: When parking your car with steering tires pressed against an obstacle back off a bit, use the emergency brake and put your shifter in the park position to prevent a gear jam.)