Mission: Impossible?

Hey all, it's been awhile but I am back!
Got some new material here after having spent some time pursuing a few other ventures.
But fear not, I will be making regular postings once again so stay tuned.
For now, get ready for some more Personal Development with attitude!


Webster's Dictionary defines Impossible as:
Incapable of being or occurring;
Incapable of attaining

To simplify it - Impossible means "It can't be done."

Do you find yourself facing impossibilities? Really? Then may I be the first one to ask if it's truly an impossibility or if it's just a difficulty?

At the risk of diminishing any one's struggles or challenges, I suggest thinking about your situation in a different manner. A different perspective could be all you need.

Ask yourself, based on the definition of impossible, is your situation really impossible?

All too often when we face what seems impossible, something inside of us is really saying "I can't do it or have it NOW, therefore it is impossible."

It's my opinion that this thought process is an epidemic which has generated a society that craves instant gratification. It has taught us to be impatient. To cut to the chase - it’s this type of thinking that has bred a lazy society. We are a people that would much rather take up Guitar Hero for example, as opposed to learning how to play guitar. Why? Because it’s “impossible” to play guitar like Eddie Van Halen. It will take years to be as accomplished as he is!

Well, Duh!! Of course it will. But we forget that it also took years of practice for Eddie to play as well as he does. And yet because we want to obtain the “impossible” overnight, we give up before we even try. Who knows? In a few years and lots of practice you could be the next Eddie Van Halen.

How sad is it, really, that today’s definition of Impossible is really nothing more than a synonym for Lazy. And since impossible truly means unattainable, the whole impossibility factor is ruled out because, as I tell my kids, If one person can do it, then anyone can do it. It is no longer, by definition, impossible.

We live in a world that has defied the impossible over and over again. Think Space Travel, splitting the Atom, cloning and medical breakthroughs too numerous to list. Think speed tests and breaking the sound barrier. Think of Roger Bannister, the first man to ever run a mile in less than 4 minutes. Think of technology and the fact that what once was considered Science Fiction is now part of our daily lives.

I think impossibilities are mostly in our minds. But as I've said in the past, whatsoever you think, you are. If you are susceptible to view problems and challenges as impossibilities then you find yourself living a defeated life. On the other hand, if you're more likely to view problems or challenges with an attitude of "where there's a will there's a way", then consider yourself in good company. Individuals such as  Roger Bannister or Eddie Van Halen for that matter, who have done what many considered “impossible”, are people just like you and me who have decided to “Take it to The Next Level.” Without that spirit, without that attitude and without the people who NURTURED that spirit and attitude, the world we live in would have plateaued hundreds of years ago. For all we know we would still be living in the Dark Ages.

Now, again, I am certain that there are those of us who truly are facing some insurmountable challenges and difficulties. I do not mean to diminish the severity of these circumstances and I most assuredly do not mean to diminish the individual facing them. I speak in generalities when discussing topics such as this. I speak in terms that are broad and apply to able-bodied individuals who are perfectly capable of accomplishing the “impossible” with good old-fashioned hard work and a fresh perspective on their situation.

So before you are tempted to call something Impossible, stop and think it through for a moment. If I can inspire you to do one thing I would have you look at your situation with an attitude of “How Can I” as opposed to “I Can’t”. Just like a little kid who claims that their vegetables are yucky without even trying them, you have to be willing to make an effort and work at your circumstance(s) before writing it off as an impossibility. Many times, the impossible is nothing more than a lack of effort. Ouch. I know that can sting a little but I gotta believe we are all adults here with a common goal of bettering ourselves. It just so happens that I get to be the one to apply the proverbial fire to your proverbial butt.

Let’s make a deal here, OK? Let’s say we cling to the true definition of Impossible and not toss it out there whenever life gets a little tough. Let’s say when we have something “impossible” staring at us we will resolve to look at it with a clear mind and an attitude of “I can”. Let’s say we’ll roll up our sleeves and be willing to work as hard as we have to in order to accomplish the “impossible” and prove that we are not a lazy society. Let’s say we’ll continue to be a people who indeed Take It To The Next Level.

Trapped In Time

So I got to thinking this morning; I was thinking about my goals and where I am in the process of reaching them. Out of nowhere, this vision popped into my head. In my minds eye I saw a long line that started right there as I stood in front of my vanity mirror brushing my teeth, stretching out into a limitless horizon, until coming to an end at it’s appointed destination in the future. It was as if time had become this tangible object; it had stopped existing as a “vehicle” (for lack of better words) which keeps moving forward, but instead, became a bridge that sprawled across an infinite chasm, connecting my now with my then.

So often, I find myself thinking of time in terms of then and now. Then is either the past or the future and now is, well, now; the present; there here and now. But no matter how you view time, regardless of whether it was or will be, time is, quite simply, now. Yesterday has become today and today will more than likely become tomorrow. And when tomorrow gets here it will become today all over again... does your head hurt yet?

You see, time really has no anchor. It’s always moving forward and try as we might, we cannot stop it. Regardless of how slow it can feel when we’re sitting in on another Business Meeting at work or how fast it can pass when we’re having fun, it just keeps moving along at the same speed. But on this ride which we call life, there is no putting it in reverse and going backward, nor is there any speeding allowed to get us to our destination any faster. We’re all passengers in this vehicle and we’re all going the same direction - forward. And even though some of us have very clear goals with very clear due dates, it’s all relative. Time has no qualms about whether you fix your goals for June 14th, 2012 or 2022. Ultimately, when you get there, miraculously, you still find yourself in today.

When you break it all down, the only time we really have available to us is now. Yesterday is completely gone and tomorrow is slowly becoming today. Today is all we have. Now. This moment. We do not and cannot live in the past or the future. We live now. Sure we can make an impact on our future by living wisely in the now, and yeah, today we may be feeling the results of our decisions from the past, but despite what we’ve done and what we will do, none of it could be experienced if not for this very moment.

So what are you doing right now? (I mean, besides reading this article, of course....) Are you dealing with anything that has tempted you to say, “I’ll take care of that later.”? Are you susceptible to procrastination? Do your goals have solid deadlines? Are you putting off until tomorrow what you could very well get done today? Hey, I’m not going to bust skulls here because in all honesty, these are all things that I do too! Let’s face it, life is full of mundane tasks that are so easy to push off onto tomorrow. (Boy, you gotta love that tomorrow. It sure does take on a ton of our B.S., doesn’t it?) But let me point out something - opportunity does not believe in tomorrow. Opportunity believes in today. It can’t survive in yesterday, it seldom waits for tomorrow and it most definitely believes in first-come-first-serve.

In order to live, I mean truly live, we need to embrace opportunity and the now. Hug your kids, kiss your spouse, dance naked to your favorite song or start writing that Novel you’ve been thinking about, but do it now. Sure, the odds are that there will be a tomorrow, but for some of us, there may not. How you spend the time that is here and now is up to you but I am begging you, don’t waste it, invest it. The moments we invest inevitably become our future, which inevitably become our now.

When you think of time as linear, it’s easy to say, “Tomorrow I will ….”. But when you think of time as a constant, there is no tomorrow. There is only the now. Live now because now truly is our past and our future all rolled up into the person we see in the mirror. Nobody else can live your now. That space is completely occupied by you and you alone. But be warned. In this thing we call life, if you decide not to live in the time you have been blessed with, someone will come along and decide it for you.

Time waits for no one but it is available to all. For those who will live now, live like there is no tomorrow. Why? Because when tomorrow gets here, amazingly we’ll still call it today.

Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'

"The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better." - Stephen King
I just wanted to post a quick thought today; what are you wanting to do but have not started yet?
Sure, we talk about the things we want in life but all too often we don't do anything to obtain them. Nothing happens by just talking about what we want, you have to get up and do something about it.
Want to loose a few pounds? Take a walk after dinner instead of falling asleep on the couch watching television.
Want to save some extra money? Try cutting out the case of beer each week. (Someone out there just got a little angry with me)
Want a better relationship with your spouse or family? How about spending time with them and having a conversation?
Have big dreams about being the next biggest Novelist? How about setting a goal to write 250 words a day? That story you have stored up in your noggin ain't gonna write itself.
So, yeah, a little rant, a little chiding and a little discomfort. My main point is this; it's easy to want success but most of the time success is going to require us to do things we have never done before. And that can be scary. But trust me, once you start something, it does get easier.
Don't be frightened of success. All the success you could ever want is out there waiting for you, but it's up to you to take action and grab hold of it.

Success Is...

...Hard Work!
Ouch! Not what we want to hear, is it?
Let’s face it, if success were easy, we’d all be successful. But success is seldom easy. Sure, some folks are naturally gifted in things that have led them to great success but for the rest of us schmoes, we need to work!
If you want to be successful, I can all but guarantee you’re going to need to work hard at it. No matter what endeavors you may have in mind, it’s going to require time, effort, energy and focus.
You can avoid hard work your whole life and that’s okay. You will more than likely be unsuccessful. Seldom does anything worth having in this life come without a price. Typically, that price is Hard Work and Personal Responsibility.
We all want to be successful but not all of us are willing to do what is required to be successful. Which one are you?

Success Is...

...Patient.
Few of us will become an Overnight Success so it seems to me we had better be prepared for the long haul. Persistence, perseverance and patience (or as I call them, The 3P’s (c) [yep, that’s mine, so don’t try to rip it off!]) will be our best weapons in battling impatience, impulsiveness and spontaneity. When it comes to achieving your goals and reaching the level of success you so desire, you will have to learn to wait for the gratification that lies within that achievement rather than giving it up for cheap imitations or short term enjoyment (a.k.a. - Instant Gratification).
Your goals are the real deal. Your goals contain the long term rewards you seek. Your goals are everything you truly wanted. How do I know this? Because if they weren’t what you wanted, why did you want them?? Duh!
Don’t cheat yourself by falling victim to instant gratification. Be patient. Keep working. Stay focused on your goals. When you finally hit them, you will have the rest of your life to enjoy them.

Success Is...

...absolute focus on what you want to achieve. Your ability to avoid unnecessary distractions and stay committed to your goals is directly proportional to the level of success you achieve.
If you suffer from “Shiny Object Syndrome” then it will be tough for you to resist the distractions that come along in this little event we call life. Only the few who can put on the proverbial Blinders will make it to their goals time and time again. Learn to ignore the shiny objects (a.k.a - life’s distractions) and keep your eyes on the prize.