I never told my children that they could be or do anything they wanted. It is a combination of things that allows us to do that; aptitude, dedication, ability, passion, etc. Instead, I tried to direct them to what they would be good at, be happy, and succeed. My oldest studied engineering in college. Physics did him in and he crashed. It was one of the hardest conversations i ever had to tell him it wouldn't work out. He switched to comp sci, did reasonably well and graduated. He then joined the army. He became a helicopter pilot and ultimately was promoted to major. He has now left the military, studied physical therapy and graduated top of his class with a straight A average. He wasn't meant to be an engineer, but he has found those things that he was meant for. It doesn't mean he failed, he just found the correct path.