“I can’t.”

When I hear my girls say this, my heart immediately sinks and I respond, “Yes, you can.”

Usually this is followed by another attempt to do something that “couldn’t” be done minutes ago. Some attempts are more successful than others, but many times the thing that couldn’t be accomplished is.

Is it a miracle?

No, I don’t think so.

I think it has to do with positive thinking. If you think you can’t do something then you won’t even if you are truly capable. Why? I like to think it’s because you’re thinking negatively and that only attracts negative thoughts and actions. It’s like a case of bad vibes. If someone gives you a bad vibe, there is nothing good that’s going to come out of a situation.

Here’s a fun fact about me…I read a lot of books about the power of positivity and the laws of attraction. While some people may think they’re nonsense, I truly believe in their message. I think there is some validity in the fact that positivity nets positivity. That’s why I try to teach my girls to think positively, even in the most negative situations.

A big slice of the positivity pie is gratefulness. If you count your blessings and are grateful, those positive thoughts will bring more good things. That’s one of the reasons I have my girls say their prayers at night. Even when they’re thankful for something as small as the yummy pork chops I made for dinner, the fact that they’re grateful for something is what’s important. They’re not only learning to be thankful for the little things, but are also sending out positive vibes. Hopefully those positive vibes will make their way back into their little lives.

After my kids say their prayers, I say mine too so they can hear what I’m grateful for. Sometimes mine are “silly” like being thankful that I survived my boot camp class without collapsing. I get a few giggles and smiles. The point is that my kids are seeing me express gratitude as well. It really is a fact of “practice what you preach”. I think it would be unfair of me to expect them to express what they’re thankful for each night while I “peace out” and just say good night. It’s all part of teaching them to be positive.

Trust me, everything is not rainbows and unicorns at my house. There are plenty of rain clouds. There’s yelling and crying just like at everyone else’s house. But, I hope the seeds of positivity and gratitude over shadow all of that. I hope in the end my girls realize there’s no such thing as “I can’t”. There’s always “I’ll try”. There’s no such thing as finding nothing to be grateful for because we know there’s always something. You can find gratitude and positivity, even if it is in pork chops.