When things feel impossible, try this
“It’s impossible.”
“You can’t change.”
“This will never get better.”
“There is nothing we can do.”
These messages, whether they come from outside or inside of us, can devastate our hopefulness, optimism, and courage. In a very real way, they can make it less likely that we take action, even at times creating a self-fulfilling prophesy where the thing that feels impossible then becomes impossible.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Do not give up on yourself, your hopes, and our world. We can change the way we see our challenges and thus, make them far more solvable and surmountable.
The next time you catch yourself saying one of these phrases to yourself, or hearing someone else say it, challenge it.
“It’s not impossible. Yes, it might be challenging at first. But I’ve persevered through challenging things before.”
“I can change. I have the proof from past times in my life. That means I can change in this moment, too.”
“This will get better. I remember a time in the past when I thought things would be bad forever, but they did get better. That will happen for me again, in this time.”
“There’s always something I can do to contribute to our world’s problems. My actions add up to something bigger. I can focus on doing my part and trust that it will make a difference in some way.”
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