Doing the impossible is for those who have a desire to achieve greatness a
nd are ready to take the steps to turn that desire into a reality.
Doing the impossible
Making the decision to pursue the impossible is scary at first. You will have to face your fears and throw away your excuses. Start out by believing two important things:
- You are capable of greatness.
- Facing your fears to realize your dreams will be the best decision you ever make.
To dare, according to the dictionary, is “to have the necessary courage or boldness for something; [to] be bold enough.” Achieving the impossible is not for the timid, as it is not the saafe and secure road. It means taking a leap of faith, leaving your comfort zone, and risking failure for the chance of success. There will be failures on the road to greatness.
Think about some of the greatest stores of triumph and courage. Why do we love movies like Braveheart, Rocky, Gladiator, and Miracle on ice? Yes, they are all stories of achieving the impossible. But more importantly, we admire the courage and perseverance of heroes who have overcome tremendous challenges. We find inspiration in those who reach for the impossible, fight against overwhelming odds, and turn past failures into stepping stones on the path to success.
Ask yourself: Do you dare to do the impossible?
Invest in your identity
Have you ever thought about your identity? Not just your name and vital statistics, but what and who you are? Where we are in life is based on our identity. Our beliefs are based on that identity. Our future worth and opportunities will also be based on our identity. Many people think that if they change their circumstances (e.g. get a new, higher paying job), their identity will follow suit. This approach is actually backwards: In reality, we change our identity from the inside out and the change in our circumstances follows.
Building your identity is about earning that identity. It is about doing the hard work, seeking the information, and transforming yourself from the inside out into the person who you envision becoming.
If you want your future to look different, you have to start by changing your thinking and building your identity into the person who you desire to be.
As with anything else, before you begin to build your identity, you must first decide what you are building. Think about the college athlete who sees himself as one day being a professional basketball player. Once he gets drafted by the NBA, where else can that identity take him? He has already arrived. Now think about stars like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, or Phil Jackson. Their identities are based not just on being in the pros, but on being one of the great ones of the game. They attract that level of success because they see themselves as champions and therefore do the work to make it a reality. Sometimes it may take years for us to actually transform into the person we see ourselves as; but once we truly believe that is the person we are meant to be, eventually we find a way to embody that identity.
If you want to transform your identity, you must make the process a priority in your life. The time that you spend on your identity makeover will positively transform all the other areas of your life as well.
