Saturday, October 22, 2005

What Can't I Do?



Everyday I hear people argue for what they can’t do.

“I’m not creative. I can’t draw. I’m no good at writing. I’m awful at that.”

I do it too. “I swim like a rock,” I say.

I wonder how I’ll ever do something I’m so convinced I cannot do?

Admitting that I don’t know how . . .

Saying that that I’m not good at something . . .

They are not arguing for my limits.

Why would I argue that I can’t do anything?
—me strauss Letting me be

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just can't understand it.
I'm stupid!
Stupid!
Stupid!
Stupid!

Anonymous said...

LMAO!

Let me calm down before I seriously respond to your post.

snicker...
snort...
Pft! Hahahahaha!

Okay. I think I'm fine now.

Great post, Liz! Nobody looks at life quite the way you do. Perhaps that's why reading your posts is so addictive. You're work makes takes my brain off autopilot and sometimes it's nice to be in the driver's seat.

Thanks for the thought.

Anonymous said...

One very good reason is to keep expectations low, thereby making it much easier to meet or exceed them.

Works for me. A life of disappointing people and being disappointed is very tiresome.

The more someone brags to me about how well they do something, the more likely I am to critically examine their efforts. I have never liked a braggart.

I think it is called "humility". Of course, it is okay to admit to yourself that you are great, just let other people figure it out for themselves. They will if you let them.

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Hi Bobby,
Welcome to Letting me be.
Your message made me laugh.
smiles,
liz

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Hi Tanda,
Thanks I think.
Liz

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Hi Ned,
I'm not really talking about humility. I'm talking about people who argue for their limitations.
I don't like braggarts as much as you. But sometime people say they can't just because they believe it.
Liz

Anonymous said...

I wonder how I’ll ever do something I’m so convinced I cannot do?

It's quite simple you won't.

This could be one of the problems with being too smart, you think through too many things and are able to convice yourself of all the reasons you can do something, whereas as somebody who perhaps doesn't think as much, just does it.

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Hi Lee,
What an interesting point. You could be right. It could be a problem of thinking too much.

But lots of people do it. We think our way out of trying things by thinking we can't do them.

Thanks for helping to explain what the problem is.

smiles,
Liz

Anonymous said...

As a professional graphic artist, I can not count the times I have heard "That's amazing, I can't even draw a straight line!"

To which I reply "No one can, that's why I use a ruler."

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Hi Kelley,
Thank you for hearing what I was saying. I've just not been communicating clearly today. So I especially appreciate it.

Why are we comfortable at proclaiming our losses and not proclaiming our wins?

Trée said...

Liz,

Another wonderful post.

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Thanks, Tree,
I'm starting to feel grateful for anyone who "gets" it.
smiles,
Liz

Trée said...

Liz, I got this 24 years ago. You're singing to the choir here. :-)

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Thanks Tree,
You should see me smiling at your comment.

BIG CHESHIRE CAT GRIN
smiles,
Liz

Anonymous said...

I can I can I can :)

It's funny cause I'll say I can't then I go try it (and when I really try...well isn't it amazing what I accomplished :)).

I find many times I utter 'I can't' before I even know it.

It's so ingrained in us to say 'we can't' to something new, unfamilar, something we're not totally comfortable with...

This post makes me think of the song from American Tail - Never Say Never.

Anonymous said...

I do find that people who keep talking about what they can't do to be very tiresome. (I assume you are refering to taking up skill, experiencing new things and not talking about illegal things like trying out drugs or bad habits like smoking nor are we talking about having some individual's unique talents.) I used to be like that -- and it's easy to be like that and just continue to spiral downwards from there until all self confidence is used up.

I can't stand people who say they can't without even trying. I guess in this case because it reflects what I dislike about myself. Hearing a bunch of "I can'ts" also starts my internal whiner going.

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Jennifer,
No wonder you're skating, swimming, and kayaking. You've taking the "I can" idea to an artform.:)

Sounds like you had fun today.

smiles,
Liz

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Liz,
Don't doubt yourself you read me right. Besides the words mean what the reader gets from them not what the writer wants them to mean.

I agree. It's very easy for too many "I can'ts" to bring out the whiner in anyone.

smiles,
Liz

Anonymous said...

I believe it's all a head game when it comes what we can or can't do. I once was a very fearful corporate girl who thinks all she could do is to follow other big guys' orders. I thought I was born and raised in the city so I had no ability to survive in the wild and hug the tress on the high rocks.

After I turned 30, I realized that I will have to trust my heart and give everything I am longing for a shot without saying, "I can't do that" first. And so I did. I learned how to say No to my boss, I learned how to camp in Aspen, I learned how to rock climb and I am a pretty darn good one now. And most importantly, I learned how to let go the "I can't do it" thought.

"hey, Christine, you can do anything you want. Give it a shot and you will get better." That's what I am trying to tell myself.

What's next on my agenda? Be a professional blogger and climb 14ers.

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Hi Christine,
Wow. What a great heart you have to challenge you. You've got good things happening. How can you not go far when you put so much passion, heart, and belief in just talking about what you're going to do?

smiles,
Liz

Anonymous said...

I could probably be a good writer. People have asked me why I don't do it for a living. There's two reasons, fear, and fear. Oh wait, that's one reason. Still, the theirs more than one thing I'm fearful about. The first thing is failure, the other is failure... oh wait.. again.. that's just one thing I guess.. I guess their are actually two things I'm afraid of failing, myself, and myself..

DAMN!

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Hi Toadmaster,
I hear the irony and the irony in what you say. The people are right you know. When you put down words without self-consciousness, you write beautifully.

I think it's not yourself you fear.

smiles,
Liz

Anonymous said...

It's definately harder to argue that you "can" do something, than "can't".

And people tend to take the easy road.

My brain's gonna fall out soon from rattling around. Can anyone help me keep it in?

BOING

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Hi Garnet,
You're doing such good thinking. Maybe your brain needs space to be thinking in. . . .
smiles,
Liz

Anonymous said...

Darn gravity! Makes everything flat! I boing better in space. keep reminding me.

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

That space boing will come in handy on the space volleyball team.