We've Had to Believe in Impossible Things

The quote that titles this post is heard in the opening of NPR's Ted Talks for Radio. It gets me every time. 

On Sunday, November 9, three astronauts returned from 165 days on the International Space Station. From the un-docking of their Soyuz capsule to landing in Kazakhstan took 3.5 hours. From a SPACE station. I can't drive to Pittsburgh on the other side of my own state in 3.5 hours. (Ok. Maybe I could but it would not end well). I am a Space/Science geek but this ISS thing has to amaze even those who are not. Space is 'out there' .......but it's really not. 3.5 hours from ISS to ground. Now granted the spacecraft traveled at speeds most of us can't even imagine to accomplish that but that's kinda the point of this post. Somebody imagined it. And called on their somebody friends. And made it happen. And all those somebody's along with three guys - one American, one German and one Russian - believed it would work.

On Wednesday, November 12, the European Space Agency landed a spacecraft on a comet. ON. A. COMET. It took 10 years to get there. So somewhere beyond 10 years ago someone believed that it was possible to land a 220 pound spacecraft on a 2.5 mile wide ball of rock and ice travelling over 40,000 miles an hour. My mind is blown. 

I find all of this an incredible source of inspiration and motivation. 

These things don't always go right of course. There have been horrific crashes and unfortunately loss of life in some of them. Still it's hard (for me anyway) not to be inspired by people who believe in impossible things and make them possible. 

We don't have to be astronauts or space agency scientists to make impossible things possible. Whether it's completing a feat of fitness; learning a new language or skill; conquering a fear; forgiving another person; getting out of a bad relationship; losing or gaining weight; finding a new job or believing in someone else's seemingly impossible idea...... 

All we have to do is believe that impossible things are possible.

All we have to do is believe in ourselves (and/or others). 

All we have to do is to keep smiling and keep moving. :) Stuff is gonna happen. Don't give up.