Can't

It can’t be done”

How many times have we heard that in our lifetimes?

And worse yet, how many times has the utterance of that sentence out loud sent the utterer and all those within earshot down a huge black hole of negativism?

As Paul Arpin was my mentor in work - Jack Kent Cooke was my inspiration in sports and in business.




  He was quite the successful man when I met him back in 1987. He had already made his first fortune in Canada, moved to the US, bought the LA Lakers, made a big splash in the young Cable TV industry, built the LA Forum, started an NHL franchise (the LA Kings), sold the Lakers, the Forum, and the cable companies, bought the Washington Redskins, and the Chrysler Building in New York .

As you would imagine from the success I just outlined, there wasn’t a whole lot of “can’t” in this guy.   In fact, there wasn’t a scintilla (one of his favorite words) of can’t in him.
He had a sign up on his wall.
“It can’t be done”
“It can’t be done”
 ”It can’t be done”
“It can’t be done”
“It can’t be done”
“It’s done” 
Below is from a young man who worked for Mr. Cooke....
It didn’t sink in until I uttered the words myself in his presence,  in answer to a question of whether we could deliver an annual budget by a certain date.
“Excuse me, young man – what did you say?”
“It can’t be done sir”  (oh man, I said it again!)
“My dear Terry,  there’s no such thing as can’t. I will not have nattering nabobs of negativism as part of my operations. Do you hear me?”
“Yes sir” (and that was the 1st and last time I was called a “nattering nabob”  - more on that phrase, and its creator, here)
“Now, let me ask you again, will you get this done by x date?
“We’ll find a way”.
“Attaboy!”

And that was that.   There was no longer any such thing as “can’t”.

What a difference it made, in my career, and in my life.
 It was one of those pivot points that you look back on and think “whew, I’m glad I learned that when I did, when it could make a real difference”.
I’ve been a human version the little engine that could ever since.
“I think I can, I think I can, I think I can……. “
I did.   And there’s still much to do.   
Join me and escape that black hole.   Don’t be a nattering nabob of negativism, or tolerate those who chose to be one.
Be free to succeed, and lead well!