Ya Can’t Have It All

I’m not a fan of the word “can’t.”

It’s harsh, it’s bitter, it’s final.  But sometimes – it’s true.

What do I mean by that?  To me, it’s a description of a state of being, a mindset.  “You can’t have it all!”…or “You can’t do that”…or “I just can’t.”  All of these declarations are a buzz kill.  The feeling that “can’t” exudes….that moment of hitting the end of the road.

I don’t believe that can’t should stop us.  I must’ve said, both aloud and in my head, “Who says I can’t?” a million times in my life.  Maybe two million.  I don’t appreciate when someone tells me I can’t DO something.  I hear them but I dismiss it.  I figure let me find out for myself if I “can’t” achieve this or that….if I “can’t” get that job I covet.  Let me try.  Then if I reach that “can’t” moment, I will be ok with it.  I will have found my own road block – and not ingested the barriers of others.

The can’t that can be true is this – I can’t do everything.  And the truth is, I can’t.  We all can’t.  We can be in one place at a time…we can’t be everywhere.  We will have to miss some events.  We will have to decline some invitations.  We will have to accept the times when can’t is just a way of life. 

Ayers Rock – Uluru, Australia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This all came to me when watching a nature show on Earth (programs which never cease to amaze me) – and in it, they were highlighting Australia’s ancient land and the fossils found there that were billions of years old.  There is a red mountain range called Uluru/Ayers Rock – which I had never heard of, or seen pictures of, until that moment.  I was awed naturally, at its beauty and existence.  And a bit shocked.  How come I’ve never heard of this before?  Or seen it in pictures in a book or online?  How could this wonder of nature escape me all these years?

Perhaps I had seen it before and paid no attention.  I don’t know.  But like anything new that crosses our paths, I took notice.  Mostly because my immediate response was “I want to see that!”  Ok, it’s in Australia, I thought.  I’ve always wanted to go there.  It’s on my bucket list of places to visit.  Wow, it’s really far away.  And expensive to travel there.  (My mind continued.)  Hmmm….I do hope I get there someday to see that.  I would hate to miss such a geological gem.

And that’s where the can’t kicked in.

The truth is, I won’t be able to travel to every destination I’ve dreamed of.  Due to resources, or lack thereof, I may have to file some travel longings under, I just can’t.  Not because of the limiting belief that can’t produces, but because of the protruding practicality of it all.  Travel takes time and money…both of which we could all use a little more of.

While the thought of not being able to partake in all of the world’s magnificence makes me a tad bit jealous and sad, I also understand how ludicrous these feelings are in perspective.

Before modern times, the world was not available for the taking.  As transportation options expanded, so did our ability to move outside our insular worlds.  From boats, to trains to airplanes, the opportunity to experience all the riches that our planet offered was finally at our fingertips.  When you think about it – how mind-boggling is that?  Someone can literally wake up in one city and be at the top of the Eiffel Tower by midday.  One can go from a snowstorm to a tropical paradise in a matter of hours.  We have the capability of physical and emotional transformation with just the luck of being born during a time when world travel is not a pipe dream.

So, for me to think, Wow – I may not get there or ever experience that in my lifetime, is both a fortunate thing to say and a reality.  How lucky have I been to have traveled at all!  How fortunate have I been that I HAVE been to the top of the Eiffel Tower, cruised tropical waters, eaten al fresco in a piazza in Italy.  What blessings I have been afforded.

If I get to see that beautiful Australian rock formation glowing red in the sunset, I will take it all in.  And if I don’t, I will look at pictures and be happy knowing of its existence.

Ya can’t have it all….but you have everything. – BB