One of my friends from high school is today working as a travel guide. He does individual and small group hiking tours across mountain ranges across the world. He is used to hiking, and he is in pretty good physical shape.

A few weeks ago, I told him that I was planning to do a 50-mile hike in one day. His immediate reaction was to say, “This is impossible.”

I was taken aback by his reaction. I thought he was a kind of expert in that area. Even if he hadn’t hiked that distance before, I imagined that he would know that this is a doable distance. After all, even though it may be hard, it’s far away from any records. But it was more than he had done in the past, more than he may have been aware of from other people, and in summary, it was “outside his world.”

As I caught myself judging his reaction, I was wondering how often I think that something is impossible just because I don’t know about it. Or even worse, I may know a little about something, and because I haven’t done it yet, I consider it impossible – for everyone.

(For me, this sometimes happens when I don’t expect other people to be willing or able to do something differently. It happens that I see others as being stuck in their patterns – but in reality, it’s me being stuck in my thought pattern.)

Here’s what helps me when the thought “this is impossible” comes to mind. First of all, be aware of the thought, and recognize there’s a limitation in your thinking. Instead of saying, “this is impossible,” switch to “I didn’t know this was possible.”

Take the Next Step

Notice when the “impossible” thought goes through your mind. Take it as an aha-moment. Something new is about the happen, and tell yourself that you don’t know this was possible. And remember, if it’s possible for someone else, it’s very likely available for you, too.