"I can't do, this I suck."

"I can't do, this I suck."

I used to say this occasionally in weekly clarinet lessons with my dad (also a psychologist 😉). I would mess up on the scale, or two, or five, and then I would stop and berate myself, maybe cry.

But being the psychologist (and Dad) he was, he always knew that it was not so much about the clarinet lesson as it was about whatever else was happening in my life at that point.

And somehow he knew how to make space, let me cry if I needed, and help me sort out whatever was going on.

I feel like we all need an "I can't do this, I suck person" in our lives.
Maybe several.

As I've gotten older I've added to the list of people I can call in these moments. But sometimes I forget to pick up the phone, and I get stuck in a spiral.

So this is me publicly reminding myself to pick up the phone / send the text / write the email when I'm feeling stuck. 😜

Who do you call when you have your "I can't do this, I suck" moments?

Image: Photo of me and my Dad walking on the beach, one of my favorite activities with him.