This morning I got up around 4:45 to take care of a few items on my to-do list before I got out of the house.
I'm habitually up around 5 anyhow, but today was working extra hard to get on my way early, so I could swim before work, at the gym near my house.
I was successful, too. Despite having to take time to put out the recycling, and then getting delayed at the gym because I briefly lost one of the end caps for my waterproof headphones, I got in a nice half hour swim. It felt great. I got to the gym before dawn, and left after sunrise.
I'll admit, when I first had the idea to do it I wasn't sure I could manage it.
That's where my gratitude comes from today. A while back I heard someone say that "don't" is a better paradigm for considering things than "can't." Can't is an absolute. Things you can't do, you could never, and will never do.
So, while I could (and frankly have previously) said, "I can't work out by the house in the morning, make my train, and go to work on time.", instead I had another option.
I can (and did) say "I don't typically work out at that gym in the morning, but maybe I can."
I even spoke in boldface type when I said it. That's some challenging shit.
It worked out just fine. I loved it, too. I plan to do it more.
I'm grateful I have a don't-can attitude as opposed to a can't-do one, sometimes.