It’s a small word, but it carries a lot of weight. When I was younger, I used to say it all the time—I can’t do that. It’s too hard. It’s too difficult. My dad would always reply, You can’t, or you won’t? At the time, I didn’t understand what he meant. But now, as I’ve grown older, I see his point clearly.

We often say can’t before we’ve even tried, shutting down possibilities before giving ourselves a fair chance. It becomes an automatic response, a safety net that keeps us from stepping outside our comfort zones. But how many times do we actually mean I don’t want to rather than I truly can’t?

I still catch myself using the word, but I try to be mindful of it. Instead of saying I can’t, I ask myself: Have I tried? Do I want to try? What if I could?

Because sometimes, the only thing standing in our way is the belief that we can’t.

Daily writing prompt

If you could permanently ban a word from general usage, which one would it be? Why?

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