Can't

“I can’t.”

It should mean:

            “I broke every bone in my body and the doctor forbade me to move.”

But sometimes it means:

            “I don’t to.”

“You can’t do it.”

It should mean:

            “You currently lack the tools and skills to complete this endeavor.”

But sometimes it means:

            “I’m afraid you’ll succeed and surpass me.”

“We can’t.”

It should mean:

            “Together we lack the maturity and strength to succeed.”

But sometimes it means:

            “I have every intention of doing this – just not with you.”

“They can’t.”

It should mean:

            “They are infringing on someone else’s freedom.”

But sometimes it means:

            “I hope they fail.”

The word “can’t” exists to kill joy –

            Kill hope. Kill ambition.

A word meant to indicate lack of ability

            Now used to mean

            DON’T

Don’t because I

            I am afraid

            I never did.

            I have no idea what the neighbors will say.

            I think you could fail.

            I want you to fail.

Can’t.

Personal insecurity projected outward and allowed to seep into other people’s lives.

A word now used so frequently to cause paralysis –

            Spiritual. Physical. Mental. Psychological.

One word used so often that its value should be void,

            But whose power remains untarnished

            But whose strength grows with each passing day.

Can’t walks around forcing his way into the room

            Whether he’s wanted or not.

More destructive than an atomic bomb

            And less constructive than violently honest criticism,

            A word meant to be a weary wonderer

Now dwells in the mouths of the many.

With the force of a tornado, ripping and shredding

Through dreams, plans, and imaginations.

Like what we want, need, and desire doesn’t matter.

Like our passions are school-aged obsessions for those who refuse

            Refuse to walk way from the pristine, shiny illusions of youth.

But what would happen if we walked away from the cold, dark reality

            That nightmares are made of and

            Into the glistening lights of our personal Heavens.

            Or at better –

            Strove to build that glistening new world?

Perhaps we might waste our time designing badly fitting dresses,

            Shooting ourselves in the leg, irrevocably destroying something expensive,

            Getting dirt on our Sunday best, or disgracing ourselves.

OR

All of the depressed souls who once heard

            “For you I have no faith.”

            “For you there is no hope.”

            “You, you have no strength.”

            “You can’t go that far. You can’t go that fast…”

REPLACED. DELETED. REBRANDED.

What if these people heard,

            “How can I help?”

            “I give you my support.”

            “I can try to give you what you need.”

            “I will lift you up.”

            “Let me remove the road block.

            “Together we can get over this mountain.”

My goodness.

How many books, scholars, skyscrapers, and inventions could

Could manifest with a bit of trust.

Here’s the paint. Here are the bricks. Here’s the architecture paper.

            Here’s the videographer. The director. And the picture taker.

Here’s the money. Here’s the net. Here’s the great teacher.

Here’s the faith. And the lover. The non-judgmental preacher.

When we make the choice to delete can’t from our lives

            We cultivate personal strength. Nurture creativity. Build confidence.

Allowing people to believe that they deserve a chance

            To break all of the rules and conventions

Allowing room to create unique designs and inventions.

Remove from one’s thinking that an idea may fail

            And perhaps some can be saved from depression, abuse, and jail

            Because they’ve been made to feel that they’re worthless and useless.

What if instead of earning PHDs – pull him downs

            We decided to set the ground as the outer frontier of our

            Ambition and decided to call the earth first gear?

Driving hard and fast isn’t the intention

            Rather, it’s reaching beyond status quo and convention.

Open the doors of our minds, churches, countries, and homes,

            To see who and how much light would flow through the doors.

Would we build higher? Dive deeper? Swim harder? Live

            Better

Better get ready. Better march on. Because as soon as you start climbing

            You should never come down.

Rise up. Seize the future. Seek that progress that you

            You can

Because all that will exist is all that can be built with your two hands.

As engineers, environmentalists, historians, artists, actors, plumbers, cleaners,

Secretaries, assistants

No matter where you get

Get your start

All that matters is how you get to the top.

Everybody can win. Everyone can succeed.

Just let us delete that word and help one another get what we need.