If You Want To Do It, You Can

I teach psychology at a local junior college.  Our textbook ends with a chapter on health psychology.  Health psychology is the study of how people take care of (or don’t take care of) their health and ways to improve health.  It is one of my favorite chapters.

One section talked about changing a bad health habit like smoking or not exercising for a good one.  The first step is to make an intention (like setting a goal) to change the behavior.  The next step is having a positive attitude about the new behavior and also (step number 3) of having a supportive social group who will cheer you on. And finally believing you can make the change happen.

Now the textbook was talking about changing bad health habits but I told my students it also works with doing anything even learning a new skill.  I have people tell me all the time with whatever I do with needle work that they could never do.  And actually they are right, they can’t; at least not with the negative attitude that they can’t do it. 

If you want to learn a new skill whether it is embroidery or quilting or punchneedle or running a marathon, you can if you have a positive attitude that you can do it.  Now I will admit that sometimes it is hard and it may take a long time. 

Sometimes you even have to have the right teacher which you may not find out you need until you get the wrong teacher. I did embroidery for years but it wasn’t until recently with a member of our quilt guild teaching a workshop on embroidery that I finally mastered the stem stitch.  It is not my best stitch but I am improving.

But if you have the attitude of I can’t do it, then you won’t even try. And if you don’t try, you won’t be able to do whatever IT is.  But remember just because you can’t do it now, doesn’t mean you will never do it.  If it is something you really want to do, don’t give up.

And that is where step 2 comes in, have a group of supportive people around you who will encourage your trying.  They will cheer you on when you succeed  and pick you up when your first attempt might not be your best.  If they know it is something you want, they can help you find the teachers or opportunities to accomplish your goals.

So try anything you want, just remember to have a positive attitude about your new skill and don’t ever give up.

©2019 Cheryl Fillion