Impossible.
It’s an extremely daunting word, one that stirs up the fire of fear within you and keeps you locked in a passive lifestyle, frightened by uncertainties and false expectations. The word impossible should be banned from all books. All conversations. From the English vocabulary period. Because nothing is impossible when you believe.
I know. It seems silly to believe. Why should we be quixotic and dream up fantasies and talk about the aspirations that we have for ourselves if they are simply idealistic? Dreams don’t really come true…or do they?
We dream about them because we know they are possible. That we are possible. That you are possible.
If we dissect the word “impossible” down to its Latin roots we’ll be left with “in” and “possible”, the first word bearing weight on the incapability of action and the last portion (and the word with more letters, I might add) speaking to the chances of something happening.
It’s a solid construct that Merriam-Webster has created for us. But it’s not something that we can’t change. It may seem impossible to alter the word impossible – but rather that is a lie in itself. Because when we toss an apostrophe between the letters “I” and “M” in im- we create a whole new meaning for the word that gives most people the shivers:
Mmmmm. Im- Possible.
I’m Possible.
I am possible.
Intrinsically, this is how we should look at every challenge we encounter in life. No matter how hard things get, we must understand the power of resilience and being creative in changing things around for ourselves or getting back on track. As cliché as it sounds, there is a silver lining to every cloud. Shit can become sugar. You can turn any negative situation on its head, shake it, and make it something positive and brand new.
Just as we did with the word impossible. We took the impact that it has on most people (a feeling of failure and can’t-do-ness) and flipped that negative energy right around. By breaking it down (as it does to internally to ourselves when we actually begin to believe that nothing is possible in the world), we were able to reveal what the word really alludes to: the idea that possibility and opportunity arrives at the cornerstone of all tough situations. You just have to be introspective and willing enough to receive that grace to move forward in the right (and often newly paved) direction.
Be able to see your hardships for the golden paths that they are.
Believe that you can make the impossible, possible. Because you can.
