Live Better – Live Longer – Live Happier

Impossible is Just a Word

Webmaster | March 30, 2010 | no comments

Everyone, at some point in their life, has dreamed of being somebody special, somebody big, or somebody important. Who hasn’t fantasized about being the one who hits the game-winning homer? Who hasn’t dreamed of being the homecoming queen? And how many times have we dreamed of being rich, or successful, or having the perfect relationship?

Often, we dream big dreams and have great ambitions. Unfortunately, our dreams remain just that – dreams. And our best intentions, all too easily, collect dust in our attic.

This is truly a sad turn of events in our life. Instead of experiencing exciting adventures in self actualization, we get dragged down in the monotony of living from day-to-day just barely existing.

But you know what? Life could be so much better, if only we learned to aim a little higher.

The most common problem to setting obtainable goals is the word impossible. Most people get hung up thinking: I can’t do this. It’s too hard. It’s impossible. No one can do this.

However, if everyone thought that, there would be no inventions, no innovations, and no breakthroughs in human accomplishment.

Remember that scientists were baffled when they took a look at the humble bumblebee. Theoretically, they said, it was impossible for the bumblebee to fly. Fortunately for the bumble bee no one has told it that it was impossible. So fly it does.

On the other hand, some people suffer from dreaming totally outrageous dreams and do not act on them. The result? Broken dreams, shredded aspirations, and overwhelming self-doubt.

If you limit yourself with self-doubt, and self-limiting assumptions, you will never be able to break past what you deem impossible. If you reach too far out into the air without working towards your goal, you will find yourself hanging on to an unobtainable dream.

Try this exercise. Take a piece of paper, and write down some important goals in your life. Under one heading, list the things ‘you know you can do’. List under another heading the things ‘you might be able to do.’ And under one more, write down the things that are ‘impossible for you to do.’

Now look at all these headings and strive every day to accomplish the goals that are under things ‘you know you can do’. Check them off when you accomplish them. As you look at each of your goals under that heading, try accomplishing the goals under the other heading that reads ‘you might be able to do.’

As each of the items you wrote under ‘things I know I can do’ are accomplished, you can move the goals that are under things that are ‘impossible for you to do’ to the list of things ‘you might be able to do.’

As you iterate through this process, you will find out that the goals you thought were impossible become easier to accomplish. And the impossible begin to seem quite possible after all.

Understand that the technique here is not to limit your imagination. It is to aim high, and start working towards that goal little by little. However, it also is unwise to set goals that are truly unrealistic.

Those who just dream towards a goal without working hard for it end up disappointed, disillusioned, and discouraged.

On the other hand, if you told someone a hundred years ago that it was possible for man to be on the moon, they would laugh at you. If you had told them that you could send mail from here to the other side of the world in a few seconds, they would say you were out of your mind. But, through sheer desire and perseverance, these things that were thought – impossible – are now a reality.

Thomas Edison once said that genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Nothing could be truer. For one to accomplish their dreams, there has to be had work, discipline, and perseverance. But take note that that 1% has to be a think-big dream, and not some easily accomplished one.

Ask any gym rat and he or she will tell you that there can be no gains unless you are put out of your comfort zone. Remember the saying, “No pain, no gain”? That is another enormous truism.

So dream on and dream big! Don’t get caught up with your perceived or imagined limitations. Think big and work hard to attain those dreams. Nothing is impossible if you just put your mid to it. As you march up the stairs of progress, you will discover that the impossible has just become a little bit more possible with each step.