I was the typical"I can't"child-whatever my mother told or asked me to do was immediately followed by my cry,"I can't."As a result,very few tasks or goals that I set out to achieve were ever completed. One evening,my mother called me into the family room."I want you to read this article,"Mother began."It's about Marlo Thomas.She tells how a simple poem that she was forced to learn by her father changed her life*She went from saying'I can't'to'I can'*According to this article,she was able to reorganize her life and her career by learning the principles in the poem." I took the small magazine from Mother and looked down at the pages.There was Marlo-my idol. Beside her photo was the poem my mother had spoken of,a simple poem entitled,"I Can"."I want you to memorize that poem,"Mother said firmly."Mama," _ ."I can't learn that poem.It's too long." "It's not too long and you can learn it.1 want you to know it perfectly by this time tomorrow,"said my mother. Unwillingly,I went back to my bedroom with the magazine.With a heavy heart,I threw myself into the bed and began my task. "Can't is a word that is the enemy to ambition,"I began.I repeated the line.I repeated it again and again."An enemy ambush to shatter your will..."I continued the process until I proudly recited the poem the following evening. It has now become my principle.Marlo 1 homas did not know me,but her story forever changed my life. Saying "I can" helped me to get through the worst moments of my life: Saying "I can" encouraged me to complete things I would have otherwise seen as out of my reach. A simple poem learned at seven is a poem that will support me to seventy-seven,maybe even longer. On the following evening,I  _  .
repeated the lines on TV read more stories about Marlo proudly recited the poem had a long talk with my mother