Ever heard that voice inside your head that says:

“I can’t do this”?

I certainly have.

I heard it loud and clear when I was in Costa Rica taking pottery classes and the first thing my instructor Ana said was, “draw what you would like to create”. All I had ever drawn to that point were stick figures. Panic set in and I thought, “I can’t draw!” And yet there was Ana holding me capable of drawing. So I picked up the pencil and drew. I didn’t want to disappoint Ana. I let go of the thought “I can’t draw” and I just allowed the pencil to flow. I surprised myself. In that moment I could draw.

It was that day I learned how powerful it is to be held capable by someone else and the abilities that flow from me when I hold myself capable.

Harvard professor, Robert Rosenthal discovered that when teachers were led to expect more from their students, the students’ performance improved. When teachers held their students capable, they were.

Imagine the possibilities,
if you were to hold yourself capable;
if you were to hold your team capable.

1. What stories do you hold about your capabilities?
2. What are you not holding yourself capable of?
3. What stories do you hold about the capabilities of those around you?
4. Who could excel, if you held them capable?

I would love to hear about what happened when you decided to hold yourself or someone else capable. Remember reflecting on the questions is the first step. Acting on your reflections can change the world.

Alison