When They Say You Can't
by Matthew ScigouskyPublish: Nov 26, 2026 Children'sBook Overview
At some point, almost everyone hears the words,“You can’t.”
They may come from a parent, a teacher, a friend, a colleague—or from the voice inside your own mind. Those words can create doubt, weaken confidence, and make a dream seem impossible before you ever take the first step.
But here is something important to understand: when people tell you that you can’t, they are often revealing more about their own fears and limitations than they are about yours. Their doubt does not have to become your doubt. Their boundaries do not have to become your boundaries. The moment you accept someone else’s judgment as truth, the words you can’t can quietly transform into I can’t. And once that happens, you may give up before the journey has even begun.
This book is an invitation to take your power back.
You and you alone are responsible for the thoughts you allow to guide your life. Within you is a strength that may be waiting to be recognized, developed, and put into action. The first step is simple but essential: replace I can’t with I can. Let those words take root. Let them challenge the assumptions that have held you back. Let them become the beginning of a new way of thinking.
This does not mean the road will be easy. Every worthwhile goal comes with obstacles, setbacks, uncertainty, and moments when quitting seems more comfortable than continuing. But an obstacle does not have to be a stop sign. It can become guidance. It can force you to think creatively, refine your plan, and discover abilities you did not know you possessed.
The process begins by accepting the challenge. Then you break it down into manageable steps, commit to doing the work, build one layer at a time, and keep your eyes on the goal. Progress is rarely dramatic. More often, it is the result of small actions repeated consistently—one decision, one habit, and one determined effort after another.
I understand this journey personally. Born with a permanently deformed left leg after serious medical complications and multiple surgeries during childhood, I learned early that circumstances do not have to determine a person’s future. Through adaptation, discipline, and conviction, I went from struggling to stand to competing in skiing, wrestling, and Division One track. I carried that same mindset into college, a successful career in medical device sales, and my work as an author and motivational teacher.
My story is not offered as proof that challenges disappear. It is proof that challenges can be met—and that adversity can reveal strengths we might never have discovered otherwise.
When They Say You Can’t is both a message of encouragement and a practical guide to developing an empowering perspective. Its central idea is straightforward: you become influenced by the thoughts you repeatedly accept. Change the way you think, and you begin to change the way you act. Change your actions, and over time, you can change the direction of your life.
So when doubt speaks, listen carefully—but do not automatically believe it. Look the challenge in the eye. Stand firm in your decision. And when they say, “You can’t,” answer with conviction:
“Watch me!”
