Let's face it, you really need to get your big 'BUT' out of the way. It's huge! And what's worse, it's so much of your life that it's keeping you anchored right there between your reality and your possibility.



"But" is a peculiar term. Many translate it to mean "forget everything I just said. Here is how I really feel." In conversations, it decreases your effectiveness. In your thought life, it is a killer. Any time you use the negating "but", know that you have volunteered yourself into a powerless position. What you are admitting is that you want to do something and there is something greater than you preventing you from progressing. Who wants that?



"Any time you use the negating "but," know that you have volunteered yourself into a powerless position."



Here are three things that you can do today to firm up a loose "but".





1.Give up saying "but" for 21 days.

This is the amount of time that it takes to make or break a habit. Though it was a lifetime in the making, it is a very liberating thought to know that you can be rid of it for life in less than one month.




2.Change 'but' to 'and' in your sentence. It will sound awkward to those of us who have been repeat offenders over the years. I will admit, you have to be creative at times. Here is what it would sound like:



"I would read more, but I don't have time."

"I would like to read more and I am going to have to find a way to fit it into my already busy schedule."



"I liked your visual aid, but your presentation was pretty boring."

"I liked your visual aid.. The presentation still needs some polishing."



"It is true that unruly members should be removed from the group, but we are already a small organization and cannot afford to shrink anymore."

"It is true that delinquent members should be removed, and we are up for the challenge of running this organization with only the faithful few."




3.Find three reasons why that thing is possible. Instead of harping on why you cannot do it, find reasons why you can.

I often get a kick out of challenging other people to tell me why today is going to be the absolute best day of their life. After they tell me why it is impossible, I then ask for three reasons why it will be. That is usually the turning point of their day. We have the power to live every day like a fantasy. Here is the catch. Power is not power until it is actualized, or discovered. For more on this subject, please look up The Wizard of Oz. Keyword: Dorothy's slippers.




The end result is that you develop a consistent pattern of victorious self-talk. Not to mention, you become the brightest and most enthusiastic person that you know. Who is better to hang around than a person who consistently beams of inner happiness? If misery loves company, joy is a party animal.



Don't you think it's time to drop that "but" and get on with it? I am not suggesting that you erase it from your vocabulary, though the mentality that it brings about needs to be history.



The world awaits the opportunity to see you at your best. If you settle for second best, you will always get less than what you deserve.