Your "I Can't" is Not Valid

I have recently began sharing photos of amazing people accomplishing incredible feats of strength and courage with the caption "Your I Can't is Not Valid." to remind myself, daily, that at any given point if I find myself saying "I Can't" that it simply isn't true.  I am healthy.  I am whole.  I am physically fit.  And there really is no excuse whatsoever for me to utter the phrase "I can't."  So, what motivates me?   People like these three athletes:

Rhonda Foulds - Parkinson's Disease - ran a half marathon less than 30 days after each of her brain surgeries.

Misty Diaz - Spina Bifida - completes obstacle course races such as the Spartan series and runs half marathons.

Amanda Sullivan - back to back car accidents, right leg atrophied, completes obstacle course races to include the Spartan Trifecta.

And these are but three of the people, on a daily basis, that I turn to for motivation when I'm thinking "I can't run that long run today."  Or "I can't be serious about qualifying for Boston because I can't run that fast."  Or "I just can't." period.  Rhonda, Misty, Amanda, and that little girl Elizabeth with Amanda, render my "I can't" invalid.

I've often been told that I have inspired someone to lose weight, get in shape, run a half marathon, or otherwise complete some physical task they might not have otherwise thought possible.   I'm humbled each and every time someone says that because honestly?  I'm just a guy who let complacency add a pound or two here and there until one day I was obese and diabetic who chose, with the help of my friend Abel Berry, to take my life back from obesity.   And yet, there are so many out there who could legitimately say "I Can't" but choose and work very hard to say "I Can.  And I Will.

Motivation.  It's all around us.  Never for a moment believe that You Can't.