What are you capable of doing?

For the longest time, I didn't think I could ever find something I was going to be truly passionate about, so I just didn't look. And more than that, I didn't consider it a problem.

How can you admit a problem when you're convinced there's no solution? That's hard.

We humans are pretty good at lying to ourselves about problems when we can't see a solution.

It struck me again today while reading Jeremy Keith's new book on HTML5 from A book apart.

It's so well done. Well written. Well designed. Well printed. Well marketed. It does a good job of explaining things thoroughly yet entertainingly. It's succint.

And a while ago, it would have made me sad. For a brief moment. And then I would've pressed on with whatever I was doing.

Why sad?

Because I would look at what I was doing, and seeing how it just didn't stack up.

But then I couldn't see how I could ever do something as well executed, and so I'd have to suppress the sadness, lie about it to myself, and just move on.

Now I can see a way out. I can see what I need to do.

Back then, I couldn't.

It's interesting how when you don't really think you can do something, you can't. You start and you stop. A peer says something nice, and you move forward. Your dad says something critical, and you stop. Start, stop. Start, stop.

But once you believe in your heart that you can do it, and you believe it's worthwhile, then there's no stopping you.

Knowing that you can makes it so.

So find that place in your heart where you know what you need to do, and you truly know that you can really do it. Really get in there. And make a vow to yourself to remember to return to this place. Daily. At least every other day. You need to keep the connection to that place open. It's all too easy to drift, to forget, to get side-tracked. Our society seems to be designed to do that. Distract you with meaningless, irrelevant information and soulless retail opportunities.

Don't let them.