🚀 🧠 ⛽ Why The Art of IMPOSSIBLE
There is a path to breakthrough your own limits...
Dear Why Team member,
I hope this week's message finds you well and enjoying the Fall Season.
Two weeks ago, I shared why a favorite book of mine, The Four Agreements, has been so impactful for me. I thought I would continue sharing insights from my favorite books as my reading list is a common request. [My Recommended Reading List]
Early this year, I received a book from my good friend and life coach Dr. Roger Hall. Per his message written inside the front cover, it had been his favorite book of 2022. It didn’t take much reading of it to realize why. And because the book has risen so often in my psyche this year, I’m excited to share with you why.
The book is titled The Art of Impossible by Steven Kotler. Steven has been writing for outdoor magazines and the like for many years - his work has gravitated to those extreme athletes that are accomplishing feats previously thought impossible. His desire has been to find out what these extraordinary individuals do differently - how they were able to breakthrough their limits. Not only does he identify their specific traits, but most importantly, he lays out a path almost any of his readers can follow to break through their own limits.
The insight that stands out most to me and continues to inspire me - almost daily - is that our brains are pattern recognizers; the cool part is that this process is automatic, natural; we do not need to work toward identifying the patterns - our brains do the work for us. And when the human brain finds a pattern, we get a bit of dopamine to help us see it - it is this dopamine produced when patterns are found that spurs me to write these blogs. It’s also the dopamine that spurs one to keep betting at a slot machine or scrolling on their “dumb” phone ;-)
All we must do is fuel the machine that is our mind. Of course, what we put in will influence what we get out.
GIGO: Garbage In, Garbage Out *or*
Great-In, Great Out - it’s up to us to make the choice.
The more we feed our minds with new insights and experiences the more material our brain has to find new patterns - patterns that no one else has ever experienced - empowering us to bring real value to others. In other words - everyone has something unique to offer another. Insights and perspectives pulled from our individual lives provide insights and perspectives for others to use in their individual lives.
An early coach of mine, Dr. Curt Spear once told me, “Steve, live your life, tell your story”.
We all have something to learn from life and can find more meaning and purpose from the sharing of what we have learned.
While we can debate on what’s humanly possible versus impossible, I find the more interesting inquiry is what we individually have come to believe is possible or impossible for us. When sharing some of my adventures, I often hear others say,
“I could never do that”. It reminds me of Henry Ford’s old saying: “whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right!” I can say with absolute certainty that without others leading me into the unknown, literally up mountains, I would not be experiencing life so abundantly.
The Art of Impossible invites us to step out of our comfort zone more often and to pour more good fuel into our minds. Whether that’s going somewhere physically that you have never been before or reading more books on diverse topics - notice the patterns your mind will find.
Notice the joy in finding them. Notice how more “great-in” will produce more “great-out”; for you and those you seek to serve.
Make it a great week!
Steve Luckenbach