The Impossible Dream, Part I
Date: January 12th, 2009
Category: Inspiration
A reader recently sent me an e-mail in which he lamented about his “impossible situation.” I guess it’s all in the eyes of the beholder, because to me it appeared that his was an impossible situation with a lot of possibilities.
So what, exactly, is an “impossible situation?” More specifically, what does “impossible” really mean? Is it impossible to make a mountain move simply by having faith? That’s quite a challenge. If anyone could do it, it would probably be that Star Wars guy, Yoda. But I don’t know of anyone outside of Hollywood who’s mastered such extraordinary mind power.
Is it impossible to get the man or woman of your dreams to love you if he/she is already in love with — and maybe married to — someone else? (Shades of Dudley Moore in the classic 1979 movie 10.) Not quite like moving a mountain, but perhaps a close second.
Terminal cancer? Miraculous healing is a surefire invitation to a heated debate. Many of us have known people who were told they had terminal cancer, yet survived and lived to enjoy many more healthy years. Have all of those cases been flukes?
All of which begs the question: When the seemingly impossible happens, is it God, luck, coincidence, or something else that is responsible? God can presumably do anything, but God also helps those who “help themselves” — meaning those who take action. So, the human ability to take conscious action is very much intertwined with God.
Sometimes we witness the impossible and refer to it as a coincidence. But I’m not sure there is such a thing as a coincidence. Coincidences might just be the attraction of one group of atoms to another. Suppose I haven’t spoken to you in a year, and I suddenly decide to call you. But before I can dial your number, the phone rings — and it’s you! That’s happened to me far too many times for it to be classified as a “coincidence.”
Which leads me to that great metaphysical abstraction we refer to as human will. The will to accomplish something — be it winning a sporting event or moving a mountain — manifests itself in something we call attitude. If I have the “right” attitude, I can will something to happen … i.e., I can literally think it into being.
Viktor Frankl, developer of logotherapy, was perhaps the most famous of all Holocaust survivors. He lost his mother, father, brother, and wife in Nazi concentration camps. Years later, as a world-famous psychiatrist, he wrote: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
Okay, so Frankl had an amazing attitude under seemingly impossible circumstances. But wasn’t he lucky as well? Absolutely. I’m sure that Frankl would have been the first to admit that he was a very lucky man, but he also was convinced that he could not have survived Auschwitz and Dachau had he not focused on finding a meaning to life.
In Part II of this article, we’ll examine three options you would have had if you had found yourself in the same circumstances as Viktor Frankl in the 1940s.
January 12th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Robert, another thought provoking article. Here’s my take on what happens or doesn’t happen to a person. The following isn’t as scientific as correct economic reasoning. So I’ll indulge in some speculative thinking.
I believe what you attract or don’t attract has to do with your energy level. If you are negative, pessimistic, angry, depressed, etc. it is almost impossible to change your undesirable situation. You are generating too much negative energy—in fact you reek of it. You attract those with a similar energy vibration. You repel those who vibrate at a higher energy level. I consider negative energy to reside on the lowest level of the awareness scale.
Tragically, most people vibrate at this extremely low level. Is it any wonder they see their situation as impossible—especially when they continue to attract what it is they don’t want.
Positive thoughts, positive feelings and positive actions can change a person’s outlook on life and increase his odds of manifesting what it is he desires—although in this world there are no guarantees. Also, possessing a major definite purpose in life makes all the difference in an individual’s life. Happiness is possessing a major definite purpose—and passionately pursuing it.
Robert A. Meyer
January 12th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. Eccl. 9:11
For something to be true, it must be true for all people, in all places, at all times. What is true for the cancer survivor must also be true for the one who doesn’t survive cancer. The human immune system, certain therapies which work more effectively for one individual than another, and many other factors effect outcomes. With man, things are impossible, with God, all things are possible. God will not suspend his laws for one individual or circumstance – what he does, or has done for one, he does, or will do for all. In our lives, there are economic laws, meteorological laws, relational laws, physiological laws, etc. These universal laws, which we must negotiate every moment of our lives, make life a dangerous, and often unpredictable place that ends in death. When we blame the dead for dying, or not having sufficient faith, or the sick for suffering and not trusting in God, or the poor for their poverty, we perpetuate a lie. There is nothing wrong with having a good attitude as long as it doesn’t cloud a recognition of reality and truth. Victor Frankl is quite right about being in control of one’s attitude. Having a good, positive attitude has many benefits. But, being able to suspend the laws of physics with one’s attitude – not ture.
January 13th, 2009 at 11:55 am
Fascinating topic.
I consider myself agnostic, and I’m reluctant to accept anything that cannot be explained by our current level of scientific development and understanding of nature; i.e. by means of physics, chemistry, etc.
However, I can’t help to say “Me too!” when I read your example of the phone call to a long time unseen friend.
Exactly this past weekend (another coincidence to your topic?) I was in the movies and suddenly, out of the blue, I remembered a movie I saw back in 1993, almost 16 years ago, a movie that I had never thought about; a movie I ended up watching because I could not made it to another one I wanted to see, and I never heard again about this movie.
Well, two days later after I suddenly remembered such obscure movie, I turned on the tv and while surfing channels, such movie was starting.
Yes, “What a coincidence.” I thought; but I cannot avoid to wonder why it happens, if there is a still unknown natural mechanism behind it… who knows.
These thoughts go against any skeptical position, by the way.
And it is not the first time such coincidence happens to me, actually I’m kind of used to experience this phenomena pretty often.
And I always wonder if it happens to all people and how often.
Now on your main topic, and taking the comments from RMEYER and ZALAHA, I find them pretty interesting.
I share with rmeyer his opinion on finding your way to what you truly desire; but I have an explanation different than energy: I think that if I always think very clearly in a situation in my life (either positive or negative) I will tend -unconsciously- to look for, and deal with people and situations that favor such state or position for my life, and I will also act and live for that goal.
Hence, making such intensive desire, this dominant thought, a reality.
And I cannot agree more with zalaha, that no matter how much I wish or think in, say, flying like a bird (using just my body) it just will not happen.
I wish for everyone a great use of this new calendar year to change the own circumstances to whatever one wants to be.
January 14th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Marantgal
I definitely endorse your idea that if you think clearly about something you will unconsciously search for it. Making your intensive desire your dominant thought definitely increases the odds of it manifesting.
Since I believe everything is energy I also believe thoughts are made up of energy. A person can generate negative or positive energy with his thoughts.
Anyway, I find your thoughts and feeling quite positive and inspiring.
Robert A. Meyer