Claim Your Agency by Rejecting ‘It Can’t Be Done’

After years of believing Gawker’s teasing was unstoppable, Peter Thiel learned the harsh truth: agency is an effective truth only if you believe it. At dinner in Berlin, a friend asked, “What if everyone thought it wasn’t possible?” That question cracked the facade—Thiel used his resources to quietly end the site’s impunity.

In your life, you’ve heard “you can’t do that” from bosses, teachers, even friends. But history shows us that individuals who reject these verdicts can rewrite reality. Winston Churchill was labeled a “Boneless Wonder,” yet he rallied Britain. Florence Nightingale was told nursing was “unladylike,” but she transformed healthcare.

Psychology underscores the importance of internal locus of control—people who believe they shape events actually perform better, persist longer, and bounce back faster. Belief in your own power rewires neural circuits tied to motivation and goal-directed effort.

By choosing to see yourself as the architect of your fate, you open doors that once seemed barred. Small acts of self-directed change build the confidence to tackle bigger challenges.

Identify a belief that’s boxed you in, list three moments when you proved it wrong, then rewrite the story into one where you hold the reins. Acting from that new narrative can be your first step toward real change.