Review and Competition: Make the Impossible Possible
Photo by Abnel.
“Make the Impossible Possible”. Ok, I admit that when I first saw this book’s title nothing about it made it stand out from the plethora of personal development books available in a typical bookshop. Make no mistake, though, this is a very special book about a man who has lived, and continues to live, an extraordinary life.
Over the past 30 years, Bill Strickland has helped change the lives of thousands of people through the creation of Manchester Bidwell, a jobs training centre and community arts program located in Pittsburgh. The centre works with corporations, community leaders, and schools to help give disadvantaged kids and adults the opportunities and tools they need to envision and build a better future:
“We greet them all with the same basic recipe for success: high standards, stiff challenges, a chance to develop unexplored talents, and a message that many of them haven’t heard before - that no matter how difficult the circumstances of their lives may be, no matter how many bad assumptions they’ve made about their chances in life, no matter how well they’ve been taught to rein in their dreams and narrow their aspirations, they have the right, and the potential, to expect to live rich and satisfying lives”
The centre has been remarkably successful, and its unique approach to tackling poverty has seen it draw support from figures as diverse as Hillary Clinton to prominent conservative Rick Santorum. Over time the centre has grown to include a diverse range of programs, including culinary arts, pharmacology, horticultural technology, ceramics, photography, and painting. The centre is based on Bill’s belief that the way to unlock an individual’s potential is to place them in a nurturing environment and expose them to the kind of stimulating and empowering creative experiences that feed the human spirit.
Making the Impossible Possible
One of the main reasons I love this book is that, like a good work of fiction, its story continues to unfold until the very last page. There is a point in the book, approximately two thirds of the way through, where Bill writes about his dream as a child of becoming an airline pilot. And guess what? Yes, while he was in the midst of building this amazing centre Bill trained to become a commercial airline pilot. How did a young black man, who lived in a rough neighbourhood of Pittsburgh and had very little money, manage to get the 200 hours flight experience needed to make his dream come true? Well, he purchased an airplane and then leased it back to a flying school of course! The flight school maintained the plane, and the money from the lease paid back his loan. As Bill says,
“Good sense would have told me that my dream was impossible, and when the mind accepts impossibility, the game is over. But that’s the power of genuine passion - it ignores the impossible and gives you the drive you need to do whatever you have to do to make a dream come true, no matter how extreme, or unlikely, or absurd those actions might seem.”
Bill truly is a man who, through what seems to be a bottomless reserve of commitment, perseverance, creativity, and hope, has proved that the impossible truly is possible.
Find Out More
If you would like to learn more about Bill Strickland, I encourage you to visit his site here. Also, the following is a short video that will give you a better understanding of the Manchester Bidwell:
Competition:
I have 5 copies of Make the Impossible Possible to give away courtesy of the book’s publisher, Doubleday. If you would like to win a copy, leave a comment describing something which you once considered impossible that turned out to be possible. I will announce the winners this weekend in my Personal Stories of Change Blog Carnival. If you would like to purchase or learn more about the book, here is the Amazon page.
Learn how I found happiness and meaning and how you can too. Get your FREE copy of my e-book by signing up.
14 Comments
January 17th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Hi Peter,
Thanks for the generous offer, I’d love to get a copy of the book. Here’s my personal story of “making the impossible possible”
1 - I have always thought it was impossible to live a lifestyle that’s closer to my dreams, filled with happiness and content, without having the income stream of a 9-5 corporate job, this belief had held me back for a number of years, until I eventually break free of the limitation I once set upon myself. This was last year in Nov, I left my well paid position in management, pursuing a new journey that’s heading towards my dream.
Now how did this happen? A number of things i changed in my own life that made me realise I can make the impossible possible.
2 - Since I begin my training at an age close to 30, I have competed in Speedskating race at State and National level for 2 years. I loved skating ever since I was a kid, coming from the family that can never afford a pair of skate, every winter I just watched people skating on frozen lakes. To be able to skate remained a dream for years.
At age of 16, a classmate gave me a pair of his retired old skates, that’s the first time I tried to go on to ice with a blade under my feet.
For years I have had a false belief that I was too old to be doing any training, let along compete at state/national levels. Such thought kept me away from pursuing what I love till i was in my late 20s. I simply believed it was impossible that an adult is able to train and compete in a sport where the average starting age is about 6 or 7.
An inspiration came to me 2 years ago when I stumbled across a blog journey an adult skater had written, she started to learn to skate at the age of 25 and started testing at national level. It dawned on me that you can make things happen, it was myself that kept me inaction! Two days later after reading that journal, I enrolled myself in the squad training.
For the last two years I was training, I pushed myself hard and competed at state and national level. This to me, is the true sense of turning the impossible into possible. I have engraved in my belief system that any single individual can turn their dream into reality, by following their heart, taking actions, make changes, developing themselves and learn from those who had achieved. It had never been anymore real to me than having experienced it first hand, In 2007 after my second time competing, I decided I also needed a career change, I was wasting my time stuck myself in a 9-5 job where my potential is not fully realised.
Hence another new transformation… the rest is history.
I’ve never been any happier, every minute of my waking time is now filled with purpose and everyday there’s joy to be found in my commitment to reach for my goals.
Now I’m also writing to share with others on various topics related to personal transformation, happiness and whatever comes to mind
Thanks for allowing the space to share my story here, I’m also interested to learn of other’s story that I can find inspiration from.
Cheers
Wyatt
[Reply]
January 17th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
I never thought I’d be able to study abroad in Africa, which had been my dream for ages. I started college at 330lbs and feeling unable and unwilling to put myself out there, or up to that physical and emotional challenge of even stepping on that plane. I didn’t think I could find or be accepted to such a study abroad program. It may not seem the big impossibility to most people, but to me, it was.
Over the next 3 years, though, I worked and I worked and I worked. I worked hard at my studies, my health, and conquering my fears.
I like to think I accomplished it. I lost 130 lbs. I gained the courage and ability to conquer my fears, and I stepped on that plane and flew to South Africa. I lived and I studied and I travelled. I even had the guts to travel by myself, by whatever means became available, for 2 months into the interior of Africa. Hell, I even jumped out of a plane and off a 1,000 foot high bridge!
I’m still proud of myself today, 2 years later. That I was able to accomplish what I did then has been a huge defining factor in my life. It helped me see a path to my better and brighter future. Now I’m onto my next impossibility - getting a job in economic development in Africa. I think I can do it, even if I have to conquer more fears, gain even more courage, and push myself to whatever limit necessary.
And you know what else? Writing it out like this has put it into even more perspective. I’m not just proud of myself, I’m AMAZED with myself, all over again!
[Reply]
January 17th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
When I was at university I used to think that it was impossible for me, as a girl, to ever dj in a club (this was a while ago, and there weren’t so many female djs about as there are now). I bought myself turntables and learnt how to dj anyway because it is something I love to do… and played in a large club to 500 people. Onwards and upwards!
[Reply]
January 17th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Claire,
DJing… another thing I have always wanted to do! I am a bit of an electronica fan and have been to my fair share of events/ clubs/ etc…. I can only imagine what it would be like to be behind the decks and making a room full of 500 people move… nice one!
[Reply]
January 18th, 2008 at 12:17 am
I would love to have a copy of the book!
When I was a teenager, I thought it would be impossible for me to have a horse. I worked at a barn in exchange for lessons and worked in a horse program at a summer camp, but I thought that only wealthy people could afford to purchase and keep horses. I could not afford to buy one or to board one. And so I gave up my dreams of horses, went off to college and got a job in a big city.
Later, I moved back to the smaller city where I came from, started a new job, and began to volunteer with a group that helps place race horses who are retiring from the track. We were taking photographs of a gorgeous horse to list on the group’s website, and the horse decided that he really liked me. The owner was surprised by this and invited me to come back and visit the next day.
In the end, she sold me the horse for a song, because he liked me so much. I was able to find really nice used saddles and equipment for a fraction of the price, and I found a barn not too far from where I live where the board is very reasonable. And so now I have a horse who adores me, and I can still make ends meet!
Other people are surprised when it comes up in conversation. And I tell them that it is not expensive to keep a horse, if you do not have other expensive habits — like drugs, smoking, drinking, movies & eating out, or the many other things that people spend money on that I do not enjoy. I just look at what is important and helps me to grow, and what does not contribute to my well-being, and I find I can easily afford the “impossible.”
[Reply]
January 18th, 2008 at 4:15 am
i’ve always thot it’d be impossible for me to win something online =(
[Reply]
January 18th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
I always found impossible to find time to build a blog, but I did it even if I failed a couple of times now. I will keep trying to do it until I achieve it!
I tried djing in the past, worth it!… didn’t know you liked electronica peter! One more reason to read your blog
[Reply]
January 18th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Zenden– you STOLE my comment, lol
Todd
[Reply]
January 19th, 2008 at 9:51 am
This is a truly beautiful blog. I like your book section as well.
Zoe
[Reply]
January 22nd, 2008 at 2:55 am
I have recently started the book and have not been able to put it down. Chris at soupornuts.com recommended it to me and I just received my copy the other day. It is a tremendous story so far and a true testament to the courage and resilience that we humans have. I recommend it to anyone that is in need of a boost or a touching story!
http://www.JuiceofChampions.com
[Reply]
Share your thoughts, leave a comment!