Why would you let opinions stop you?

Who decides what’s impossible?

As Paulo Coelho once said: “Impossible” is just an opinion. Many things may look impossible without actually being impossible.

What do I know about that?

Well, unfortunately, I experienced it firsthand.

Shortly after surviving a stroke (luckily some years ago now) the future was a black box.

“Probably she can’t walk or think anymore.” That’s what acquaintances told my family before I had even opened my eyes again.

Spoiler alert: I couldn’t walk for two months. Another six months later, I was miraculously windsurfing again and still even spoke exotic languages. For a long time this sounded like I had a seriously wild night but “that’s a minor detail”, said the experts.

Specialized experts simply didn’t know what the future would look like — and said so. They knew: 1,000 strokes. 1,000 different outcomes.

“We don’t know whether you’ll be able to walk again. But we’ll do everything we can.”

Hallelujah to the professionals, family and friends who truly helped to carry me through.

Some others, however, seemed remarkably certain I wanted too much and too fast (patience has never been my superpower). And kept reminding me of that.

Never mind that they had studied law, Arabic or economics. Their great-grandfather ‘also’ had a stroke. Or was it polio? Or the measles? Apparently enough to make them experts on this matter too. Interesting.

I had only one goal: to recover as quickly as possible. No time to waste.

“Don’t expect to be that lucky.”

Bam. I was pushed even deeper underwater. Just when I needed all the hope I could get to stay afloat.

I ignored their doom-and-gloom predictions and exercised like a maniac. Nobody knew whether it would work, but at least I could try. If you don’t try, nothing happens for sure.

Fortunately, gloomy predictions didn’t determine what was possible.

So why am I telling you this?

Should you want to have a stroke? Well, not really. Nobody gets to choose. But if you could choose, I’d recommend the flu instead.

Just think twice before calling something impossible though. 

Opinions without facts to back them up have always puzzled me. In organizations, they can be a major source of missed opportunities.

By now, I’m downright allergic to them. They nearly cost me a major opportunity.

Who decides what’s possible? Sometimes luck. But certainly not opinions. You decide how much power you give to other people’s opinions.

Whatever change you want to make or whatever new thing you want to try, “Impossible” is often one of the first things you’ll hear.

Whether you want to change your organisation, create a invention, win votes, double your turnover or start a company, always keep that in mind.

Impossible? Says who? What have you been told was impossible, only to prove it possible anyway?