Try not. Do, or don't do.  (Yoda)

Yoda distilled the first rule of almost every self-help book down to one phrase.  In a previous post, I talked about moving from whiner to winner. Here's one little change to your thinking and speaking that will give you a big payoff in becoming a dream-following success.

“Can't” is an excuse word that people use (and accept from others) to absolve themselves of responsibility for their choices. An "easy out", perhaps, but it comes with a price that's just too much to pay.

Yoda's not here, so I'll tell you: "Can't" is not your friend!

“I can't follow my dreams because [fill in excuse here]” is an overwhelming statement– to you and everyone around you. The negativity lingers like a bad smell. Blame permeates your being and keeps you down.

Change "can't" to "won't". When you change that one little word, the statement becomes “I won't follow my dream because [fill in excuse here]”, and you magically put the whole problem into context. The statement is positive and it just begs you to question its validity.

Are you really too old? Are your goals really too lofty? What changes do you need to make so you can set up your life to allow you to go back to school? Or keep your pension?

Your dreams aren't asking you to stop upholding your responsibilities – they're asking you to start listening more to them.  Take baby steps. Find advice. Start talking to people about your dreams, and begin your journey with one life-changing action: ditch the word “can't”.