Recently, I had to move a printer from the second floor of my home to the first. I carried that same printer up two flights of stairs when I purchased it, so I figured it would be easy. Truth be told, I probably slid it up two flights of stairs (it was still in the box then). Now, three years later, and with the box long gone, I had to carry it.

Holy crap. It was heavy. I got it to the top of the stairs and slid it gently down each riser, one at a time. Halfway to the bottom I feared I would lose control and it would run right over me. Had I bitten off more than I could chew?

But then I paused, made sure to use my legs instead of my back to brace the weight, and began repeating the mantra I can do hard things.

And I did. As I type this I am looking at my printer in the place where it belongs, and I smile.

Since then I have been thinking about that phrase I can do hard things. Moving a piece of office equipment around my home may seem trivial, but the mantra grabbed my attention. Was I someone who believed she could do hard things?

As I pondered that question, I realized the answer was yes. My life was full of examples of triumphing over challenges, maybe not the way I had hoped I would, and certainly not without scars along the way, but I was proud to see I had proven to myself that I indeed can do hard things.

I am reminded of the Mother Teresa quote: “I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish that He didn’t trust me so much.”

When the going gets tough, we often feel helpless, small, weak. And when we come through on the other side of a difficult period in our lives, we tend to feel beaten down by the stress of it, not uplifted by the knowledge that we survived. That perspective may be enough to keep us from trying new things or wading into the unknown, which prevents us from taking advantage of new opportunities that can lead to tremendous growth.

So my challenge to myself moving forward, and one I am sharing with you here today, is that when I survive a life crisis, win a bloody battle, or just plain make it to Friday when Monday kicked me in the teeth, I am going to take a breath and celebrate my victories. It won’t always be easy to remember to do that, but, like any other habit, the more I do it the more likely I am to continue doing it. And who knows what kind of confidence I will gain if I train myself to believe I am capable of success in the face of adversity and struggle.

So, the next time you are moving a printer, or dealing with a behemoth of a project at work, or facing an uncomfortable conversation, remind yourself that yes, indeed, you can not only do hard things but also you can slay dragons, climb mountains, win races, and face the unknown like the champion you are.