Making the Impossible Possible

Behind the scenes

I’m late.
I sent my e-mail on Wednesday morning but I got caught up in today’s storm. 
I know that if I want things to happen, I have to send my e-mail on Wednesday and Sunday. 
So… Here i am.
It may not seem important … But read to the end.

Monday, i was listening to a podcast about Roger Bannister.
And I knew it was going to be the topic of my next e-mail.
It's one of my favorite stories. And hope, it’ll be one of your favorite one too.

The story takes us back to the 1950s.
In those post-war days, nobody ever ran a mile under 4 minutes.

For over a century, many men had tried, some with strange techniques. Legend has it that some of them let wild animals race behind them. But even with these beasts of hell at their heels, the 4-minute barrier remained impassable.
The fear of losing a leg doesn't seem to be enough to break down limits.

The last record stood for 9 years.
Some people always like to be pessimistic: they're categorical: it's impossible.

Sir Roger Bannister appears. His preparation is different.
Psychologically, he feels capable.
He doesn’t think it’s impossible.
He visualizes that he can do it.

May 6 1954, in front of thousands of spectators, he breaks the record.
His time: 3 minute 59.4 seconds

And from the moment he succeeded in breaking it.
Others will follow in the years to come.
The insurmountable has now been crossed.
And when others finally allow themselves to dream, dreams come true.

Two observations: 
- His time 
- The psychological barrier

Roger Bannister didn’t beat the record by a second or two, but by half a second.
The goal was to go under 4 minutes, he did it.
His performance is in synergy with the goal he had set himself.

The psychological barrier broken, many athletes managed to go under 4 minutes in the following years.

The lessons

We can’t sail through life thinking that if it hasn’t been done, it can’t be done.
It’s certain that when you set your sights on the moon and talk about it, people will try to extinguish your dreams.

“Hey, stop dreaming. Nobody’s ever done it.”
But what if you were the first to do it?
The problem is, you have to believe you can do it.
As long as your mind is the guardian of your own performance, you’re doomed to fail.
He'll create his own prison and throw the key away.

Brains and success go hand in hand. 
You can’t succeed if you think you can’t.
The only real difference is in the mind. 
The more you progress, the higher the level required in your field. 
At some point, the talent will be identical, the best won’t be the one who have more talent but:
Who wants it more?
Who’s got the fangs?
Who thinks they can do it?

I can’t convince you to trust yourself. 
To believe in yourself. 
But I can keep repeating the same message. 
If you want to achieve something: it starts in the immaterial realm.

You are capable of seeing yourself triumph.
You feel capable of triumph.
Fear is there, but it’s an excitement, not a paralyzing feeling. 
The others around you doubt, but you don’t.
Their doubt doesn’t affect you.
They don’t know what’s burning in your heart.
They don’t know the energy that flows through your body for that will to succeed.

No one could go under 4 minutes.
Roger Bannister had 9 years of recent history to prove it was probably true. 
He could have said to himself: “Fair enough, it’s probably impossible”.

But no, he put on his shoes, trained relentlessly and turned what had never been done into doable.

We’re not Roger Bannister.
I can’t run a 4-minute mile. 
I can’t even run a 4-minute kilometer. 
(With training? Maybe?! Would be a good goal)
But instead of choosing to listen to those who think it’s not doable.
I choose to be inspired by those who have pushed the limits.

Maybe I won’t make it.
Nothing is certain in this life. 
But I can believe it.
I can train relentlessly.
I can put myself out there.
I can try.
One way to do it is to send these e-mails even when the day has been grueling and I’d like to put my brain on pause in front of a TV show. 
But no pain, no gain.
A price has to be paid. 
It’s the only way, when dawn comes. 
No regret because I’ll have given it my all.

Have a good, whatever’s left, of your Wednesday.
It’s a good one to believe in yourself.