“CAN I?”- The Art of Positive Thinking.

Pronounced as “CAN” “I” as a question.

Clear- understandable, easy to perceive or interpret.

Achievable- measured, able to be reached successfully.

Never-ending- limitless, seeming to have no end.

Improvements- upgraded, a thing that makes something better.

“CAN I?” is about improving daily.

“It is easy to get off track these days. Life is complicated. Full of stress and anxiety. Our work, our families, our love relationships all make demands on us. We feel so pressured that many of us cheat ourselves. We don’t give ourselves time to think, to get a perspective on ourselves and our lives, to ask ‘How am I doing’.

And that is a big mistake. Life does not need to be this way. You can change it. You can give yourself a second chance in life. And you can start today. Just take a little time out for yourself right now and find out just how you are doing.” (Brothers, 1995)

When I read Dr. Joyce Brothers book, Positive Plus it really spoke to me. The phrases, “you can change it” and “second chance in life” made me think of the possibilities for a new future. All I needed to do was make it happen.

When I was at a conference long ago, I remember hearing the turn of phrase, “Believe it… to see it… to work it… to achieve it.” Unfortunately, I don’t remember who said this, but it has stayed with me. After reading Dr. Brothers book, I made a connection to this ‘Believe it….’ phrase. My way of thinking changed and merged these two philosophies together.

These two positive thinking paths lead me to “CAN I?”.

“CAN I?” is a mindset, a positive way of thinking to help you accomplish what needs to be done. You can apply it any time during the day, I use it before my feet hit the floor in the morning “CAN I?”.

“CAN I?” asks 2 questions and 1 statement. “CAN I? complete the project…”. “YES, I CAN”. “What’s the plan”?

“CAN I?”  sounds a little corny and easy to dismiss as being silly. Practice “CAN I?” long enough you will see benefits in your everyday life. It helps with having positive attitudes, creates healthy bodies and improves home, work and play time.

Past research uncovered that positive thinking (“CAN I?”)  is much more than being upbeat, it can overcome all the challenges in your life. The research also indicated positive thinking, “CAN I?”, builds skills that last much longer than momentary experiences, in fact it produces real life value. The greatest rewards that positive thinking leads to, 1. unforeseen benefits, more self- esteem, greater personal health, stronger relationships. 2. improvement of other skills, focused problem solver, better communicator. 3. offers other life opportunities, higher education, better careers. and 4. opens your mind up to more options- hope for a enhanced future.

Here's how it works, pick a project you want to complete today, this week, this month and even this year. Example- pass the math test.

1.       Ask yourself- CAN I pass the math test?

2.       The answer is always, YES I CAN! Say it with conviction.

3.       Ask yourself- What’s the plan?

4.       Develop the where, when, what and how. Be specific.

You now have a mental To Do List.

Work the list. You may come up short on the project and that’s OK. Just start again.

“CAN I?” starts the vision to achievement and success, it renews the possibilities of greater things to come. The more you practice “CAN I?”, like mediation, the faster and easier it is to explore new opportunities and thereafter reap the rewards.

Try “CAN I?” every day, for a month, and let me know how’s it’s working for you.

Source:

Brothers, Dr. Joyce. (1995). Positive Plus, The Practical Plan for Liking Yourself Better. Berkley. New York, USA.