History is full of voices saying it cannot be done.
Pundits. Experts. Advisors. People with titles and opinions who have repeatedly said that certain ideas, inventions, or visions were impossible.
But thankfully, history is also filled with people who ignored them. People who took on a different mantra. One simple phrase that changed everything:
“I can make it happen.”
From Rejection to Revolution
Michelangelo took a discarded piece of marble – something others said was useless – and carved the statue of David.
Christopher Columbus set sail for a new world when most people believed he would fall off the edge of the earth.
The Wright brothers were called crazy. Henry Ford was dismissed as impractical. Visionaries like Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, and Richard Branson were mocked before they were celebrated.
But all of them believed one thing: “I can make it happen.”
There Is No Such Word as “I Can’t”
As far as I am concerned, “I can’t” is not part of the human language.
Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right.” And he was.
Your thoughts create your beliefs. Your beliefs shape your decisions. Your decisions shape your actions. If you begin with doubt, you limit your own potential before the work even begins.
But if you begin with belief? That is when the impossible becomes possible.
What Feels Impossible Right Now?
Is there something in your organization that feels stuck?
Maybe a team challenge, a product issue, or a service breakdown. Maybe it is a culture shift you are trying to make or a structural change that just is not landing.
Whatever it is, I invite you to step back and remember this:
Every breakthrough in history started with someone saying; How can we make this happen?
Turn Brainstorming into Breakthroughs
Here is a challenge for your next team meeting:
- Identify the challenge or obstacle you are facing
- Ask the question out loud: How can we make this happen?
- Give everyone time to brainstorm freely
- Encourage imagination
- Write down every possibility
- Look for the patterns. Look for the opportunities
Put on some soft music. Take the pressure off. Make it fun.
You will be surprised what happens when you stop leading with what is wrong and start creating space for what is possible.
The Word “Impossible” Is a Myth
The word impossible has two meanings.
Lowercase: impossible – something I have never done.
Uppercase: IMPOSSIBLE – something that has never been done.
But history shows us that even the uppercase stuff – the things the world has never seen –eventually get done.
You just have to be the one bold enough to believe it can happen.
Final Thoughts
You may be facing a situation today that feels overwhelming. You may hear voices – internal or external – saying it cannot be done.
But I am here to remind you:
It can. And you can.
Adopt the mantra.
Say it out loud.
Write it down.
Lead with it.
“I can make it happen.”
Wishing you a productive and powerful week ahead.
COACH MICHAEL DILL is an Award-Winning Certified Business Coach, global speaker, and published author. He is a proud ActionCOACH Franchise Partner as well as the President of Power & Ice Wealth Creation, a strategic leadership company that works with business owners, leaders, teams, and entrepreneurs to build systematized, structured organizations while accelerating mindset, efficiency, and effectiveness to achieve extraordinary results.
BusinessCoachMichaelDill.com