The Possible Impossible

Our mind is partitioned in a way to subdivide the known and the unknown, into the possible and the impossible.

In the things we know, there are those we believe we can possibly do. These are either the easy tasks we can comfortably – or effortlessly – accomplish, or the hard ones we have to strive for. This kind of challenge keeps us on the ground of foreseeable potential, limiting our self-realization to what we naturally and normally perceive.

Alcatraz Island, San Fransisco (CA, USA)

Nevertheless, the possible is not necessarily certain: while the easy can fool you, the hard can deceive you. Never underestimate the former, as pride would blind you, and never hesitate in front of the latter, as “inches” break records and make champions. 

And among the things we know, there are also those we falsely believe we can’t do. These are the feasible tasks of a “pseudo-impossible”, wrongly perceived as such because of either ignorance, or fear. This kind of challenge brings us above the edge of foreseen capabilities, until we achieve what we mistakenly considered as impossible, and reach our overlooked and unfulfilled potential.

Remember to overcome your frustrations, and to ignore those of others; impossible is nothing. It is only by commanding your own will and power that you can prove them wrong. And as Arthur Clarke once wrote: ”the only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them, into the impossible”.

In addition to that, there will always be unknown things that never existed. Their land of non-existence is a fertile ground for creation and innovation, for challenge and realization. The future belongs to those who master the art of grasping, exploring and developing its unknown possibilities, before they become obvious. The secret is to look forward, and not only backwards. How can we forget what the Serpent said to Eve in George Bernard Shaw’s Back to Methuselah: ”you see things; and you say “why?” But I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?”

Don’t waste time praising yourself for what you have already done. Acknowledge your previous achievements, and focus instead on what still has to be done. Don’t be terrified by discouraging or demoralizing obstacles; re-energize and look straight into your goal. Invest in your unfulfilled potential, and make the impossible possible.