Let go of conditions as best you can. Let go of old stories you tell yourself. You tend to make rules where there are no rules. You make certain conditions necessary. You tie together cause and effect as if they were hitched, as if cause and effect were a pair of yoked oxen pulling a cart, as if one thing must follow another as if by law. There is no rule, and, when you make up a rule, it does not necessarily follow.

You say that germs cause colds. You are sure of it. You are also sure that not being warm enough causes colds. What studies exactly have you made to accept rules that you once heard and have followed without question? How many times have you not caught a cold?

The way I see it, so-called causes are excuses rather than causes. Oh, yes, if you drop a spoon, it will fall. Even so, I will wager that there are times you drop a spoon and catch it before it falls, or someone catches it. Better not to get caught up in details or proof. To what avail? To what avail are percentages? To what avail is evidence?

There are incidental factors you make into rules. Some of those you may not be aware of. Sometimes you are. Too often you state suppositions as fact:

"I am not good at computers. I always mess up. If there is a possible difficulty, I am sure to find it."

"I was never good at taking tests."

"I can't do geometry."

"I always have had terrible bosses."

"I can't get anywhere on time."

Now I will reverse My earlier statement. It's true. What you think is a cause is a cause. What you count on often comes true. What you say often comes true often. This is almost guaranteed. Your thoughts make it certain. Once in a while, there are exceptions.

In every situation, there are a thousand and one possibilities. Is it so hard to turn the odds in your favor?

Turn the odds in your favor by getting out of the past conditioning. What was does not always have to be.

What is there that a human being cannot do? What is there that a human being has not done?

Sometimes it seems important to you to prove yourself right in a conclusion even when the conclusion is against your interests.

"See, I told you I wouldn't get that raise."

"See, I never did well in geometry."

"See, I'm not good at sports."

Will you kindly change your tune? Give yourself a chance. Is it possible that you can change your thinking and so change the result? Can you not give yourself a fighting chance?

I do not even ask that you talk yourself into something. You don't have to talk yourself into being great at tests, sports, or what. I ask, I request, I insist that you stop marking conditions in stone, stop establishing conditions that you do not want - or do you? Do you like the distinction of always getting a cold, always not doing fabulously in tests, always something or other?

If you insist on limiting yourself, can you not equally insist on freeing yourself from limitations?

Be inspired rather than diminished. Have not there been men and women who lost their legs in accidents and nevertheless ran races in triumph? Have not those who stuttered become great orators?

I ask you to please not give up so soon. I ask you to, please, when it is something that matters to you, not to give up at all. Limitations are perceptions. You don't have to perceive limitations. Perceive beyond limitations.