The Power of Possibility
What happens when someone says the word “possible?”
The whole universe changes.
Hope is born anew where despair once reigned. Light shines in the midst of paralyzing darkness.
The word possible transforms our world from a place where “quit” and “give up” held the probability to one with new potential and an open future. When we believe something is possible it literally changes everything for us.
In 1902, a Swedish journal published a signature phrase that today we commonly associate with a children’s story — “I think I can.” Though this is the first recorded printing of the phrase, the earliest record of the story was published in the New York Tribune in 1906 as the “Story of the Engine That Thought It Could.”
And though some controversy surrounds the identity of the original author (see here for some of the research behind the origins of the story), the message remains as relevant as ever. It reflects the power of believing in the possible.
In the story, a train needs to be pulled up a steep hill. While larger engines refused the task believing it impossible to pull so long a train up the hill, a small engine volunteers and accomplishes the assignment, the whole time reciting its motto, “I think I can…I think I can.” Upon reaching the top, the small engine continues the journey on the other side stating with pride “I thought I could…I thought I could.”
The story communicates a truth about the nature of our reality. What we believe is important.
We’ve all heard the phrase “Your attitude determines your altitude,” but never has that been more critical than when it comes to what is or is not possible. Why is “possible” so powerful?
1. Believing something to be possible changes our mentality.
First, believing something to be possible rather than impossible alters our perception of reality. It changes the way we see the universe.
In Superbowl LI, the Atlanta Falcons led the New England Patriots by 25 points deep into the third quarter of the game. A insurmountable (and some might say impossible to overcome) lead. But the mentality of the Patriots reflected a belief in the possibility of coming back in what many would view as a hopeless case.
After tying the game and sending it to overtime, the Patriots marched down the field and won. Five time Superbowl Champions. About the comeback and the victory, MVP and star quarterback Tom Brady said this “we never felt out of it.”
Did you hear that?? That mentality is almost unbelievable. To be down by 25 points into the third quarter when you’ve only scored three points the entire game and not feel out of it reflects an attitude of possible that may even go beyond rational. Who thinks that way?
Winners do. This type of mentality is a choice. This is a decision. This is a willful mindset. The attitude of possible doesn’t look at what is, but rather what could be and this mind shift does more than change perceptions. It changes actions.
2. Believing something to be possible changes our effort.
We’ve all seen teams or people in impossible situations. Maybe we’ve been in impossible situations ourselves and we know what it feels like.
The demoralization. The defeat. It wears on someone like a heavy rain-soaked cloak.
Slumped shoulders. Heads down. A lack of effort. These are the signs of impossible.
But add a spark of possible and everything changes. Heads begin to rise. Shoulders move back. The addition of possible puts steely determination in our eyes. We give more. We do more. We go beyond our capabilities because we believe in possible. Because we believe.
I’ve asked myself the question many times, how is it that people seem to do the impossible? For years, no one thought it possible to run a mile in under four minutes. This was simply an impossibility for a human being.
However, on May 6, 1954, Roger Bannister did just that. He beat the four minute mile. And what took centuries to accomplish was done again only 2 months later by 2 runners — Bannister and Australia’s John Landy.
What was once an impossibility now has become common. The four minute mile has now become the standard instead of a once unreachable goal.
Believing in the possibility of this accomplishment changed the effort not only of one man, but of every runner from that point on. If you believe it can be done, you give more than you thought you could give. You do more than you thought you could do. And a more powerful effort has effects.
3. Believing something to be possible changes our results.
A change in mentality and a renewed effort changes the outcome. What was once impossibility becomes reality.
History abounds with stories of impossible being proven wrong. From reaching the South Pole to climbing Mount Everest to landing on the moon, stories of people doing the impossible are abundant.
But here’s an even more important point. Even if we don’t accomplish the impossible in the actual task, we have accomplished the impossible inside of ourselves.
We have grown. We have gone beyond our own limitations. We have moved ourselves forward on our personal journey, breaking the boundaries which have held our thoughts and actions captive for so long.
We have reached a land inside ourselves we never could have dreamed. Possible is a partner that takes us to places we could never go by ourselves.
Possible gives us new courage to face our fears. Possible gives us strength to persevere. Possible enables us to transform our failures from dead end destinations into success journeys.
I can’t guarantee you much in life, but I can guarantee you this: If you believe it to be impossible, you will never get there. But with possible by your side, you may one day arrive.
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