It’s mid-October here in Quito, Ecuador, but you wouldn’t know it from the scenery.
There are no leaves turning gold and red. No crisp, cold air.
Being right on the Equator, nestled in the Andes mountains, means our temperatures are wonderfully consistent and mild all year.
We’ve got palm trees in Quito—lots of them!—and thanks to the 9,100-foot elevation, the humidity is low year-round. It’s a perpetual spring with temperatures consistently hovering between 65-72F
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The climate shifts, of course, on the Pacific coast, where we have a number of iGive Global micro-loans in action. And it’s a completely different world in the Amazon jungle.
In fact, I’ll be heading back to the Amazon this month with a retreat group I’m leading through my Live It Well business.
These tours and retreats are a way to help more people experience the incredible beauty of Ecuador and meet its wonderful people.
We’ll be visiting a different part of the Amazon than I saw in September, and I’m looking forward to connecting with a new indigenous community.
The Lessons of Ana-Maria
But let’s talk about something deeper than the weather. Let’s talk about the words we use when facing a challenge.
The photo above is Ana-Maria, a loan recipient who lives in a small village high up in the Andes.
She makes and sells Quimbolitos, a delicious, sweet, moist cake. The special part is that she steams them, not bakes them, inside the fresh leaves you see in the photo.
Ana-Maria has received a micro-finance loan from iGive Global.
This loan is helping her expand her kitchen. With more space, she can supply more markets, increase her sales, and provide significantly more for her family.
What has been an incredible learning experience for me is her mindset.
Ana-Maria never says, “I can’t because of…”
Instead, she asks, “How can I?”
The Trap of Always Quickly Saying “I can’t”
I’ve been reflecting on the power of those few simple words.
I’ve far too often fallen into the trap of saying, “I can’t because of…”
And I realize now that when we say that, the issue is almost always deeper than the external roadblock we name.
It’s not truly about not having the funds, or not having the time, or not having the perfect circumstance.
Those things can literally be overcome. They can.
The real issue is internal. It’s a mindset.
It’s an internal safety system running on autopilot, telling you fear-based stories about what might happen, what you might lose, or what might go wrong.
It’s designed to keep you safe, but it ultimately keeps you stuck in the status quo.
Ana-Maria has fewer resources than most of us reading this, yet she believes, pursues, pivots, fails, gets back up, and keeps going.
She asks, “How can I?”
Questioning the Voice of Fear
I encourage you to reflect on this as well.
Stop saying, “I can’t” or “I won’t” right away. Recognize it for what it is: a fear-based, “safety-always” internal response that does not serve your best self today.
There’s usually an old story behind your current “I can’t.”
It might be a time in the past when something didn’t work out, or a voice from an authority figure telling you, “You can’t,” “You shouldn’t,” or “It’s not being responsible.”
It’s truly amazing what you can unearth if you follow that trail backward inside yourself. Ask questions like, “Why do I think this?” and “Where does that belief come from?”
The fact is, as adults, we have far more capacity and resources—skills, smarts, networks, and yes, even credit cards—than we often give ourselves credit for.
I’m in the same boat, trying to step out of my limited thinking.
My Own Moonshot: “How Can I Help More?”
So, I’m taking my moonshot right now, and I’m letting you inside my process.
My “How can I?” centers on iGive Global’s impact. I know I can do so much more if I can get our automated, recurring monthly giving to increase.
Currently, that recurring giving comes in at a dedicated $150/month. I am deeply grateful for every cent of that.
But my moonshot is to get that up to $800/month.
That is an increase of $650/month, which could be achieved with just a few people giving $50/month, a couple at $100/month, and one or two at $150/month.
This steady, predictable stream of funding would allow me to confidently help more Ana-Marias, do more, and impact more lives in a reliable way.
So please don’t stop at “I can’t help Mike, because of….”
Dig deeper into why your body or mind might be telling you that you can’t support this. What’s the deeper story holding you back?
See it. Hear it. Question it.
Is it time for you to write a new story?
Will you get behind me? Will you enable us to help more people like Ana-Maria and make their dream of a better life come true?
If you read this far, thank you.
Question the story in your head that says, “I can’t.”
Are you ready to say, “I will?”