Let’s take a look at the following two sentences:

  1. I can’t do that.
  2. I can’t do that… yet.

Only one word separates these two sentences. But, they have profoundly different meanings. 

The first sentence, “I can’t do that,” implies a permanent state that can’t be altered.

By adding the word “yet,” as in “I can’t do that… yet,” it implies that the current status of your skill level can be altered with time.

We can debate which statement is true.

However, the better question to ask is, “Which statement is more useful?”

I’ve had a 15-year-long fascination with linguistics — in particular, how word choice reflects thinking, and how thinking is reflected by one’s word choice.

This phrase comparison is a perfect example.

How you perceive yourself and the world around you fundamentally shifts how you think about your opportunities (or perceived lack of opportunities)…

… and how you think about opportunities alters how you act (or do not act) in pursuit of them.

Sometimes, a single word makes all the difference.

-Victor Cheng

P.S. If you found this mindset shift “tool” useful, I invite you to learn more about my Inner Circle Mentorship Program. 

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