Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Impossible is Just a Word

By: Rod Larrivee

Everyone, at some point of his or her life, has dreamed of being
somebody special, somebody big. 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 happy with our
relationships?

Often, we dream big dreams and have great aspirations.
Unfortunately, our dreams remain just that – dreams. And our
aspirations easily collect dust in our attic.

This is a sad turn of events in our life. Instead of
experiencing exciting adventures in self actualization, we get
caught up in the humdrum 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 higher.

The most common problem to setting goals is the word impossible.
Most people get hung up thinking I can't do this. It's too hard.
It's too 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. Unfortunately for the
bumble, bee no one has told it so. So fly it does.

On the other hand, some people suffer from dreaming totally
outrageous dreams and not acting on them. The result? Broken
dreams, and tattered aspirations.

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 sky without
working towards your goal, you will find yourself clinging on to
the impossible dream.

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

Now look at all the headers strive every day to accomplish the
goals that are under things ‘you know you can do’. Check them
when you are able to accomplish them. As you slowly are able to
check all of your goals under that heading, try accomplishing
the goals under the other header-the one that reads ‘you might
be able to do.’

As of the items you wrote under things I could 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 possible after all.

You see, 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 a goal that is truly
unrealistic.

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

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 impossible dreams are now realities.

Thomas Edison once said that genius is 1% inspiration and 99%
perspiration. Nothing could be truer. For one to accomplish his
or her dreams, there has to be had work and discipline. 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 as true as it can be.

So dream on, friend! Don’t get caught up with your perceived
limitations. Think big and work hard to attain those dreams. As
you step up the ladder of progress, you will just about find out
that the impossible has just become a little bit more possible.

http://www.rodlarrivee.ws