“But I can’t! I can’t do it.”

My almost-4-year-old says this an average of once every day, as I imagine most young kids do. At that age, they experience the tension of wanting to be a big kid and do everything by themselves and also get frustrated by the difficulty (real or perceived) of accomplishing that ‘big kid’ thing. It’s a normal part of their growth to discover the ever-changing limits of their capacity.

What may be surprising is that I’ve also said this a couple of times this past week. Typically, I blurt it out when I’m feeling tired and overwhelmed by my emotions. Even breathing feels impossible.

“I can’t take deep breaths. I can’t do it.”

Maybe I can, maybe I can’t do whatever the thing is. Thankfully, I don’t need to commit to either one. In that moment of overwhelm, I can try.

I may falter at the first attempt. That’s okay. I can try again. Maybe slow my breathing by just one second.

When I feel stuck with that “I can’t” mantra on repeat in my head, every attempt is a win.

I can try.

To try today: What “I can’t” might you attempt?