Can't never could because he never tried!

This article is all about empowerment. When we change the emphasis from the one word to the other, we are sometimes booted out of our comfort zone and made to confront harsh realities...but often we are liberated and find we have control when before, we thought we had none.

I found annoying, though, the author's use of the phrase, "begging the question." More and more I see it used inaccurately (as she does here) to mean, "beg to ask the question." In fact it is a rhetorical fallacy commonly used in argument or persuasion. To beg the question is to assume the truth of a debatable point and base the rest of the discussion on that questionable assumption, e.g. "Conservation is the only means of averting an energy crisis; therefore we must concentrate on methods to conserve energy"  or "What prison sentence shall we give the child abusers who take alcohol and drugs while pregnant?"

- the Language Nazi strikes again

Very often these kinds of assertions are overstated and not contextualised. For instance there are certain circumstances where one "can't" do a certain thing, Viz, if I am playing chess and I have lost my queen and all my pieces and my oponent has all of his on the board, I  "can't win" this is of course is an extreme example but my point is you can't always fix everything, some events leave residual effects. You go bad in business and as a result you go bankrupt you "CAN'T" start another business until after a period of time etc. I "can't" does always translate to I "won't". I prefer the more resonable approach to replace "I can't" with "I can" which also sets up a change in one's thinking pattern and opens up possibilities, but here again one must exercise a degree of rational thinking about what is possible and what can be done Viz, I may not be able to start another business just now, but I "can" do something that will prepare the groundwork for one in the future. To say I won't start a business is just plain nonsense.  I've seen all these Tony Robbins evangelistic type positive thinking gurus make ridiculous statements, all the testimonies come from people who were either already successful or had the infrastructure to achieve outcomes simply by showing a bit courage and applying themselves in an unremarkable way. Psyching one'self up is fine but when it's anchored in the absurd notion that you can achieve absolutely anything regardless of your circumstances it just becomes a dangerous form of self deception.  My advice is to carefully measure what resources one has at one's disposal and identify an achievable goal and say "I can".

Robertfox

Words can be empowering, or debilitating.

Go read this essay on words and how you are controlled by them. You'll never view the world the same again, I promise.

www.mind-trek.com/.../tl07a.htm

If you like this article, go watch 'The Secret - Law of Attraction'

video.google.com/videohosted

or read:

The Science of Getting Rich - Wallace D Wattles, or the Bible for that matter, for more on how this works. The Henry Ford Quote mentioned above: 'whether you think you can, or whether you think you can't, your right' is very enlightening, for while he was evil, he was well informed an knew how to get what he wanted. This is about a deep seated law of reality and how our thoughts and preceptions and expectations shape our future, our world.

This reminds me of another related word change that is valuable. .... It's what "YODA" said in Star Wars when he was training Luke in the ways of "The Force". .....

"Try?,...... There is no Try. ..... There is only Do,.... or Not Do."

I think God said it best in the Bible through the Apostle Paul and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament in Philippians chapter 4 verse 8   "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy- meditate on these things."   The old adage of "What we think, we are" is foundationally true but remember what we "say" effects us and others around us as well, either positively or negatively as Paul has also spoken about in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 25, 29, 31.   "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.  Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.   Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice".    Soloman, the son of David, King of Israel in the Old Testament, who God said was the wisest man who ever lived said in Proverbs 15:1  "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger."     Finally, Jesus Himself, God incarnate,  spoke to the paramount importance and eternal power of our words in their future effect upon our own selves when teaching in Matthew chapter 12 verse's 35, 36, 37.  "A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.  But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.  For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."  So think positively all good thoughts, and speak positively only those words which create abundance, healing, comfort, and encouragement  in love, so we will have no regrets in life.