Amazing Things Will Happen: A Real-World Guide on Achieving Success and Happiness

Chapter 11

No More Saying, “I Can’t”

These two simple words—“I can’t”—have the power to hold people back from achieving their dreams. But there is very little that you can’t do if you work hard enough and long enough.

“I can’t” is the mental block that we use to convince ourselves that it is okay to give up.

GORUCK is a lifestyle brand that makes a variety of rucksacks and other equipment. The company also hosts the GORUCK Challenge, which it markets as 10 to 13 hours of “good living.”

In reality it is a grueling half-day of physical punishment that will test you to your limits. If you imagine boot camp crammed into half of a day, you have an idea of what it might be like.

Of the challenge, Jason McCarthy, founder and chief executive officer of GORUCK, says, “The biggest challenge to overcome is your own mind. Yes, there are physical challenges, but the hardest ones are all in your head.”

I share this example because Jason is a seasoned Green Beret and now a successful businessman. He is also one of the happiest people I’ve ever met, because when he decided his dream was to build a successful brand, he knew that he couldn’t let himself say, “I can’t,” and not push forward.

You have to be dedicated to the goal and want it more than anything. Saying, “I can’t,” is dangerous because it shows you are not dedicated enough. It is an easy excuse people use to escape doing whatever it is they are being asked to do. It is the easiest out.

What people really mean most of the time is, “I ...