Karla’s Korner: Can’t Never Done Nothin’

Can’t Never Done Nothin’

She’s three years old, and cute as a button. Every morning she walks in dragging her bigger than her backpack and exclaims “I can’t do it Ms. Karla” as she stands glaring at the hook on the wall; the place where her backpack belongs. “Try” I tell her, “use both hands, one on the bottom one on the top”. “I just can’t Ms. Karla, please help me.” Continuing to encourage her I insist that she try and up until this past week I’ve had to give a little boost and help her reach the hook. Even after I assist I thank her for trying and tell her that she CAN and WILL do it soon because she’s growing up and getting stronger. This week, for the first time, she struggled but was able to hang her backpack on her hook all by herself. “I did it Ms. Karla I did it all by myself…I’m a big girl now!” Sweet success.

Entering the pleasantly lit, warmly decorated room to have a mammogram this week, the tech greeted me with a smile and the information sheet I had filled out upon my arrival. “Have you really lost 92 pounds since your last mammogram two years ago?” she asked. Quickly I answered “yes, I have” to which she replied “well obviously you haven’t reached menopause yet, because after that you can’t lose any weight. I can’t “she said. Taking a deep breath I shared that I had not gone through that significant change in my life quite yet but I believed that she can. “Can’t is no longer a word I use in referring goals, dreams and aspirations” I tell her that I believe anything is possible as long as we put our mind body and spirit in it. Expressing that she had tried to lose weight recently by eating salads, twice a day and drinking water I shared that in order to lose weight properly you have to feed your body. Moderation and a healthy well-rounded diet are key as well as a regular exercise regimen. Still insisting she couldn’t I moved on, had the mammogram and left wishing that somehow I could have gotten through to her; maybe I did.

Our world today provides us with many choices, quick fixes and most everything we want and need at our fingertips. Technology has taken over providing a false sense of “can do or can get anything” without much of an effort. In return if it seems that getting what we want or achieving a goal in a rather quick amount of time we claim we can’t, give up and move on; we allow failure to be an option. While failure and disappointment are an inevitable element of life we must not allow ourselves to go there first. We must find it within to try, to set our minds in a positive forward moving direction and work for the “I can’s” instead of sitting back and saying “I can’t”. As a little girl I remember my grandfather proclaiming “Doll baby, can’t never done nothin’”. It wasn’t until I grew up that I realized just what he meant; by claiming you can’t do something, you never will know if you can or not.

Former South African President Nelson Mandela once said “It always seems impossible until it’s done”. The word impossible, when broken into two words becomes the phrase “I’m possible”. Believing in the possible, the “I can’s” instead of the “I cant’s” is the first step in living a positive, productive life. Knowing that there will be times that “can’t” becomes a reality and having done all we can to avoid the “cant’s” will make the disappointment a bit easier to embrace. Ensuring that our children learn to try, never give up on their dreams will teach perseverance, patience and a positive outlook on life.

American Industrialist Henry Ford worked tirelessly creating the first automobiles that most middle class Americans could afford and creating the assembly line and following his dreams. Ford had an “I can” attitude. He set forth to accomplish a goal and pushed through until he found success. As you go about your week, your life I encourage you to develop an “I can” attitude. Know that in order to achieve you must put forth effort. Nothing worth having comes easy; we must work toward our goals, our successes. And in the event we come up short, we will know we did all we could without giving up and walking away. Much like the children’s story “The Little Engine That Could” we must believe that we can work through the hills and valleys of our lives. In the words of Henry Ford, I encourage you to remind yourself that “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right”. Choose to think you can and you will.

Peace,

Karla

I think we all need a touch point a place we can go to be inspired. Karla is my children’s teacher, a good friend, and a person with a heart of gold. I hope that her words will inspire you to do more. We are only as good as the people we surround ourselves with. It is important to listen with your heart and proceed with your eyes open. Enjoy!

Read more Karla’s Korner, also please visit Karla’s Lifetime Moms page and read her articles.

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