words that can move mountains

my whole life, i believe, (or at least a good part of it) i have been a "can't do" person. whenever an obstacle presented itself, a lot of times i would think "i can't do this" or "i don't have enough experience/the right experience/money/whatever (in order to do something). i've said too many negatives. i only realize it now that just by saying "i can't do ..." automatically shuts our minds, our energy, and motivation to doing something. i've heard a few people tell me in the past that i'm too negative but i never really thought too much about it. that's just the way i was.

in the not too distant past, i was talking to a friend from college about my new found career path (international development). she told me i should go join the peace corps as the experience will prove to me whether that's something i really want to do or not. of course, i got scared. joining the peace corps was not part of my plans. i told her i don't think i can do 2 years. she suggested i do 6 months. i then came up with an excuse for not doing it. ever since that conversation, my interest in that field has waned. at the time i was starting to study for the gre but i have since stopped. 

i know i have heard the following words/advice at least once somewhere before but i have forgotten about it until now. those words are: how can i ...? instead of thinking "i can't do this" and killing the idea instantly, "how can i do this?" unlocks everything. "how can i do this?" leads to answers.  it's similar to the other words we've heard many times before: we can do anything we set our minds to. however, that was always easier said than done.  "how can i do this?" makes you think about how to overcome an obstacle, step by step. the other set of words gave no direction or advice on how to actually accomplish what we believe and want to set our minds to. only a part of the population knows how to implement those words. for others, like myself, they are just words.

i wish i had these words pop up in my mind those few months ago when i was talking to my friend or after that conversation. i would have then realized that joining the peace corps was not my only option to getting my feet wet in the field. i was already aware of other programs out there but for some reason i didn't think about it.