dream the impossible dream…

I just finished the introduction of my book (106 Impossible Things Before Breakfast), and I am so excited to start solving! I tell you, I have a brand new outlook on life now. It’s very cliché to say that “this book has changed my life”, but it has been very insightful so far, and to be honest, I’ve already learned SO much!

Some things that really hit me were:

Attitude: try not to use the word “impossible”. Use “that’s tricky”, or “that would be very hard”.

Assumptions: avoid assuming things, and keep an open mind. Examples of skepticism are:

• “Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?” Harry M. Warner, Warner Bros. Pictures, 1927, when introduced to movies with audio content
• “Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.” Lord Kelvin, President, Royal Society, 1895
• “The horse is here today, but the automobile is only a novelty – a fad.” President of Michigan’s Savings Bank advising against investing in the Ford Motor Company
• “Video won’t be able to hold onto any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night.” Daryl F. Zanuck, 20th Century Fox, commenting on television, 1946
• “What use could the company make of an electric toy?” Western Union, when it turned down rights to the telephone in 1878

And look where we are! Years ago people thought that what we now call “modern conveniences” were impossible. Little did they know where we would be in a few years. So, push aside your assumptions and find your imagination.

Summing Up: You know now why the concept of impossibility doesn’t need to be limiting. If you focus on what can be accomplished as opposed to what cannot, you can turn the tide in a difficult problem.

Good luck!

M.fs

[im]possible

Okay, so my sister just bought me this book called, “106 Impossible Things Before Breakfast”. I was totally surprised to receive it, but completely and utterly touched as well. <sigh> After just coming back from out of the country, my big sister has changed so much – mostly for the better. To think of me in such a sweet and kind, loving way, I couldn’t convey my cooped up appreciation at the time.

So on a lighter note, doesn’t that sound intriguing!? I’m so excited to delve into the book, that I started it as soon as she handed it to me! It’s all about being able to do “impossible” things. Like, living forever, a knife that never dulls, or traveling in a car without an engine. There are 106 (duh) different situations, and the book explains all about changing your way of thinking.

So far I’ve learned that assumptions are not good. We’ve been trained to assume that certain things are impossible, and certain things are taken for granted. Like when we wake up in the morning and expect that the laws of gravity are still in place and that we’ll be able to get dressed without floating to the ceiling. Assumptions, whether good or bad, must be pushed aside in many cases. An open mind, sharp ideas, and creativity are all an important play in working with the so-called “impossible”.

Oh, one more thing… get the word “impossible” out of your head.

M.fs

Can’t G-d Do Everything?

On sparkling rhinestones, I don’t normally mention/talk about religion, but last night when I couldn’t sleep, a thought crossed my mind, and so naturally, I thought I’d share it with the world:

CAN G-D DO ANYTHING?
You cannot state that nonsense is true, simply by putting before it the words “G-d can”.
Examples: G-d cannot create a stick with just one end.
                 G-d cannot create two mountains without a valley in between.
                 G-d cannot deny himself.

This is what we call “intrinsically impossible”. Of course, being omniscient, G-d can do the impossible, such as miracles and wonders, and things which no mortal can do, but he cannot do the intrinsically impossible, simply because it is nonsense.

The dilemma at hand: Are we limiting G-d if we believe this? My answer: G-d is limiting himself.
Explanation: G-d is truth; a lie is not the truth; if G-d lies, he is not truth – therefore G-d cannot lie. He is limiting himself. Another example is this: G-d is holy; something that comes in contact with sin is not holy; if G-d comes in contact with something unholy, he is not holy – therefore, G-d cannot come in contact with sin.

Does this make sense? It does to me, although as I just thought of this last night, it may not be the clearest explanation possible.