"You can't teach an old dog new tricks."  I'm not one to nitpick over semantics, but I've heard that old cliche twice today.  How many phrases do we mindlessly repeat without ever really thinking about them.  Maybe I'm overthinking the phrase.  Or perhaps when you begin making a conscious effort to make positive changes, you're a bit more sensitive to the kind of self-defeating limitations we place on ourselves.  Self-fulfilling prophecies can be your greatest strength or a damning weakness.

 

Smoking was an ingrained part of our lives to an extent that it became a part of our identity.  We committed to a new way and put that behind us.  In the wake of quitting smoking, many of us delved into health and fitness.  Steady forward momentum now has us doing things we might have believed impossible just a few short years ago.  As I tune in to people making changes in their life, I'm genuinely encouraged by how much success people can have with a solid commitment and a bit of grit.  Where you came from is not nearly as important as where you're going.

 

An old dog resigned to the fact that he can't learn new tricks will stagnate and wither away.  However, an old dog that blocks out that negative noise and bravely ventures forward is capable of great things.

Great post, Boo! I thoroughly agree and further take issue with the words, "I can't." If you change those words to "I don't know how to..." a limiting thought can be transformed into a quest for learning.

When people say they can't do something it alleviates them from making the effort to do something.

Are you licking yourself?

All ages and cultures are full of sayings that sound smart and get passed around without much thought. An it will not change. Just use your own head for thinking and youre good, what else a fella to do right? :)