Inspiration and Life

Do the Impossible in Your Life

Make the seemingly impossible possible

Have you ever said, “No way anyone could do that!” or “That’s impossible!” If so, you are not alone. Many have made similar statements for hundreds of years, only to eat crow if they lived long enough. What does this tell us? What is impossible for some people is possible for others. What creates such a wide divide between “it’s impossible” and “it’s done?”

The impossible becoming possible

Humanity thrives on turning the seemingly impossible into the common and ordinary. How many things in life once deemed impossible now exist? So many, it would not be easy to list them all. Everything from the light bulb to the airplane appeared impossible to create. Yet thankfully, they exist today!

There are many examples of the impossible becoming possible throughout history. Some people once thought flight was impossible. For example, Lord Kelvin, a British mathematician, mathematical physicist, and engineer, claimed in 1895 that:

“I can state flatly that heavier than air flying machines are impossible.” Lord Kelvin (1824–1907)

Likewise, a Canadian–American astronomer, applied mathematician, and autodidactic polymath said in 1902 that:

“Flight by machines heavier than air is unpractical and insignificant, if not utterly impossible.” Simon Newcomb (1835–1909)

Even one of the world’s most prolific and famous inventors thought flight to be impossible:

“It is apparent to me that the possibilities of the aeroplane, which two or three years ago were thought to hold the solution to the [flying machine] problem, have been exhausted, and that we must turn elsewhere.” — Thomas Edison, 1895

I am glad the Wright Brothers did not listen to any of them! They achieved the first powered flight soon after in 1903 at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina!

Another example of a seemingly impossible invention was the light bulb. In 1880 The president of the Stevens Institute of Technology said the following about Edison’s lightbulb:

“Everyone acquainted with the subject will recognize it as a conspicuous failure.” Henry Morton (1835–1902)

The same year Morton made this statement in 1880, Edison received his patent on the incandescent lamp, paving the way for the universal domestic use of electric light!

A third example of the impossible being made possible was when the inventor of the vacuum tube made this statement in 1926:

“While theoretically and technically television may be feasible, commercially and financially it is an impossibility, a development of which we need waste little time dreaming.” Lee DeForest (1873–1961)

Considering the number of televisions in the United States alone is in the hundreds of millions, DeForest’s seeming impossibility became more than possible!

The possible in the impossible

It appears nothing is impossible for man to accomplish today. Let’s apply this theory to life. The most well-known person to have ever lived said two thousand years ago:

“I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible to you.” Jesus Christ (c.4 BC-30 or 33 AD) from Matthew 17:20b NIV

With so many seemingly impossible things done in the world, why is there a plague of small things that seem impossible to us? There are too many to list, but here are a few with which you may identify:

• Getting rid of excess weight
• Becoming healthier through exercise
• Having a great marriage
• Saving more and saving enough for retirement
• Getting that degree
• Growing spiritually
• Getting that next promotion and raise
• Freedom to take up a hobby you enjoy
• Building confidence in yourself
• Having the freedom to travel
• Finding true happiness, joy, and fulfillment
• Developing a balanced life

While none of these are earth-shattering, this list barely touches the surface of things in life that are seemingly impossible to many of us. But are they really impossible, or do they only seem to be?

“ Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!” Audrey Hepburn (1929–1993)

How to make the impossible possible

There are numerous ways to create what was previously thought impossible in your life.

The first thing is to recognize what you think is impossible to do or to own. Until you see what it is and name it, there is little you can do about it. What is one of those impossible things for you?

Now ask yourself, “What can I do to make this impossible thing possible?” You can use and develop your can dos by acting on one or more of the ideas below. Something common to everyone who makes the impossible possible is they incorporate several of the items in the following list into their daily life. Committing to more than one will dramatically increase your chance to make the impossible possible.

“No one gets very far unless he accomplishes the impossible at least once a day.” Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915)

• Believe in yourself and your abilities. When you believe you can do it, you will do it if you want. If you don’t want to do it, don’t waste your time.
• Find your purpose for creating what you want. When you have a strong enough reason to do something, the chance of it becoming a reality increases dramatically!
• Develop a strong work ethic. A willingness to do what it takes to accomplish what you want will make it happen.
• Take small steps forward every day. The imperative is to keep moving forward. Remember, mile by mile can be a trial, yard by yard can be hard, but inch by inch, anything’s a cinch!
• Recruit others to assist you. Enlist help whenever you can. Two can achieve more than one every time.
• Get rid of excuses. Be fully responsible for the outcome. Make your life an excuse-free zone. Ditch expectations and only have intentions of getting things done.
• Be willing to take risks. If you fail along the way, it does not make you a failure. Learn from each failure and keep moving forward.
• Be willing to do whatever it takes. Don’t take no for an answer, and never give up or give in when you believe in what you are doing. The right attitude will take you far.
• Operate in your strengths and recruit others to cover areas of weakness when possible.
• Develop a clear vision of what you want to create. The more clearly you see the result, the greater the chance you will achieve it.
• Learn to enjoy the process. If you allow dread to encroach, get rid of it. Completely! Find enjoyment, and you will create and maintain plenty of motivation to succeed.
• Appreciate your progress throughout and to the end. Be thankful for what you are doing each day. Always remember, what you appreciate appreciates!

“There is nothing impossible to him who will try.” Alexander the Great (356–323 BC)

Do you notice what each of the above have in common? Look at them again, and you will find every one of them depends on your mind. Each comes from a growth mindset. A growth mindset is a can-do approach to life. When you believe you can do something, it will happen, especially when you want it bad enough!

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t — you’re right.” Henry Ford. (1863–1947)

Final thoughts

You can make the seemingly impossible possible in your life. When you tackle the little things that affect your life and are successful, you set yourself up to make seeming impossibilities possible. Start with what makes the most sense to you, regardless of how small or large it is. Success begets success, as the old saying goes, so every success you experience will lead to more success 99.9% of the time. Isn’t that what you want?

Don’t put it off. Start now. What is the one thing, the one seemingly impossible thing you can go to work on at this very moment? When you know what it is, go through each of the above items, approaching them as questions. When you find enough answers, you position yourself to succeed and do the impossible!

Heed the following advice from a very successful dreamer who achieved many impossible things in his life:

“The only place where your dream becomes impossible is in your own thinking.” Robert Schuller (1926–2015)

You can do it if you think you can!

LinkedIn |Twitter| Medium| UncommonSense| AmazonAuthorPage | Parlor

Bill Abbate Leadership Writer and Editor in ILLUMINATION

Thank you for reading this article! If you enjoyed it, please check out the others below!