This is the most basic of all attitudes. We simply must choose to believe that we can learn. In your house do not allow the words, “I can’t.” Instead say, “I haven’t yet, and I can,” or “I can’t YET, but I will!!!” Telling yourself that you can’t will in effect make it so. But telling yourself that you can, will in effect enable you to learn much more. Even if you actually only achieve 50% of what you tell yourself, you will achieve at least that much more than if you told yourself you couldn’t. So many people were told at a young age that they couldn’t learn. Many others were allowed to engage in that kind of negative self talk (tell themselves that) and their parents and teachers didn’t intervene. This enabled them to develop “I can’t” attitudes that become self-fulfilling prophecies.

I actually have a standard way of going about getting myself off of the starting block. I simply say if somebody else has achieved great learning heights, then I can too. I have to be smarter than at least one of those who has already done it. I have to be able to work harder than at least one other. There has to be at least one other person who has come from more difficult circumstances than me. And if they can do it then certainly, “I can!”