When I asked earlier this week whether folks were pursuing what seems impossible, one person wrote back:
I used to think that tackling the impossible just takes convincing people how great the need is, how big the problem.
Whoa! That can work. But there’s a more powerful way, and it’s easier (and even fun, which I believe changing the world can be). My correspondent had a sense of it:
I know that the big problem can tire out people. I want to inspire them.
Here’s a first step in that direction, courtesy of Dan Loritz, who is a volunteer, consultant, and staff member at Hamline University. (He’s done the impossible, and he’s doing it again now, as he prepares for his “next act” in the public sector.)
Dan carries with him a list of everything the university has going for it — a letter-sized sheet of paper completely covered in the smallest handwriting you can imagine.
He looks at that paper every day … because he knows it takes some doing to stay true to a confident, aspiring, and idealistic posture.
You?
Do you have something going for you that you can write down? Just one thing about the world around you, the corner of the world where you want to effect change?
Is there one thing you can come up with that encourages you … that gives you a tailwind?
Imagine having a 3×5 card or a Post-It in your pocket that has one word on it — or two — to remind you of what you have going for you. Can you give yourself 10 seconds to do this? (Even if it seems too simple, or a little “woo-woo.”)
If you want to make it more real, more potent, write it here (scroll down to the comments).
Interesting how that works — write it and get something from it — double the power when you write it in a place like this, where others are changing the world, too.
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Great post- as usual, Jim. My “impossible” mission is to make the quadruple bottom-line of people, planet, profit and purpose the commonly accepted measure of business success. The “positive core” (as Appreciative Inquiry would call it) of my business is a process that enables business leaders to connect to their Higher Source to find their own individual purpose, which then allows them to find the Higher Purpose of their business. This deep soul connection is a miracle tool that will help make that impossible vision a reality- perhaps in my lifetime.
Jim,
In response to your query –
“What’s one thing around you that
encourages you in your desire to make a
real (perhaps impossible) difference in
your corner of the world?”
To quote Churchill –
“Out of intense complexities, intense simplicities emerge.”
This is the way we need to think – and if we do – we draw energy from the complexities that we can invest in the simplicities that will help move us forward.
Dan
Tom, thanks, yes Appreciative Inquiry informs all of this.
And Dan’s right-on to pick up on Churchill’s vantage point. (This Dan is the same Dan in the story above, folks. So that adds a special quality to his insight.)
That’s exactly what I’m trying to do: distill what I’ve learned from you, Dan, and other exemplars … to its most pure and simple form — the “positive core” even of the questions.
I know it’s mushy, OK? My two words: Jim Lord
Jim, my life has been full of experiences that have shaped me to be what I am today. I always say that when I want something, it does not matter what is a head, I simply just begin the journey. Yes, I have many dreams that seem impossible, certain things gives me more confidence to still want to go or begin the safari (journey).
Today I read a quote on TV that “wise people will always overlook the impossible” and I say: “wise people will always look for possible”
In Kenya we have been fighting for a new constitution for over 20 years, this year we are about 3 months a way from finding one, but still some people are opposed to the draft, but I am confident that many Kenyans look at the side of things happening and even encourage those who seem to be hopeless. The fact that I know it is always possible, makes me want to do things even when my other side of me says no.
Becky, thank you for adding a little more wind to my sail. (smile)
Jastus, the way you ended your note, about the sides of you … I’m glad you mentioned that. That’s certainly been my personal experience — rather than a monolithic and permanent worldview, I find different aspects of me emerging at different times. There are so many dimensions to each of us, aren’t there?
Jastas, the kind of goodwill and faith in the your people and the future you embody … it is my hope that that spirit prevails as Kenya moves toward a new foundation.
What encourages me the most is finding how many other people share the desire to do the “impossible” and make a real difference in our world. It’s energizing to be around these amazing people and discover how much we have in common. Instead of being alone, I’m part of a growing movement to find the best among us and support it and grow it and magnify it. That’s a mission worthy of our lives.
My one word is “amazing: to overwhelm with wonder.”
It’s amazing to see all these amazing people doing all this amazing work.
Pay attention
Be astonished
Tell about it.
Instructions for Living a Life
Mary Oliver
The word “share” encourages me every day. When we truly have something of value to share with people, they appreciate that we share it. And we appreciate that when our supporters share with us they also do it gratefully, with a sense of purpose. Remembering “sharing” helps me to be real – and to be conscious that we’re all in this together.