Impossible!
What do you think of when you hear that word?

For me, I think of the old TV series, Mission Impossible, that I loved to watch as a kid! It was full of excitement and action. The secret agents were always presented with a mission that was extremely difficult and had that sense of being impossible to accomplish. But, on TV, no matter how hard the task, the mission always got accomplished!

The word impossible means: not able to be done, out of the question, a no-win situation, and the idea of something being demanding/unbearable/exasperating. Have you faced one of these types of “missions” or situations in life? I think we all have. What was your response? And my question for us to consider is, can the impossible truly become possible? Or is that thinking just a way to avoid the inevitable?

              I like some quotes that are out there. They make me stop and think.

What catches my attention?
1. Looking at the word impossible through the lens of “I’m Possible”. (Re-framing my thinking)
2. Realizing I can judge something impossible without even giving it a good honest effort. (light bulb moment!!)

Then I ask myself some questions:
1. How do I really judge my abilities? Do I judge them correctly? Do I sell myself short?
2. Am I so quick to say, “I can’t” before I can see how “I could”?
3. Have I hemmed myself into a corner because I have failed to look beyond what I have known?
4. Do I want comfort more than accomplishment and the work or change that accomplishment will require?
5. Is something truly impossible or have I just not found my “whys” to make me go for it?

To go to a new level. It could be a new level of finances. It could be a new level of family relationships. It could be a new level in your career. The list can continue…. To go to this new level, we must think new thoughts. The old thoughts will limit us, and we will stay with what we have known. To be able to move out of the impossible into the possible, we must decide not to stay where we have been. When we WANT to move forward into new territory, THEN we are ready for the challenge of the impossible. We are ready for Mission Impossible.

There are five elements to facing the Impossible that I want to share with you:
1. Shake off the Comfortable.
We must become convinced of our “whys” to move into something new. This motivates us for the journey. The change has to be worth it. Change always means leaving something behind. Change always means facing the uncomfortable and moving through it.
2. Charge up your Courage.
What helps you believe in yourself? Where does your courage come from? Identify that and capture that! Find the quotes. Find the words. Remember the dreams. Remember those who have believed in you. And on the other side, what hinders your belief in yourself? Capture those thoughts and cast them away. Replace those thoughts with the thoughts that charge up your courage and faith!
3. Imagine the New.
 We have to see it. What will the impossible look like and feel like once we have brought it into the possible? Imagine the goal. Stop seeing what is right now. Start seeing what can be. Start imagining the goal reached!
4. Change your Conversation.
We can find ourselves apologizing to people for our huge dreams. We may say, “Oh I know this is impossible for me…”. We can feel the unbelief and cynicism of others when we share our impossible dream or goal. We can pull back because of this and apologize or throw cold water on the desire that we have. Start talking what you believe…not what you feel, see, or think others want you to say. You see the future, help others see it too.
5. Gather your Team.
One of the elements I remember about Mission Impossible was that it took a team to accomplish these very difficult missions. Each agent had their part to play in the strategy. One may have been the out-front person while another may have been behind the scenes operating other details of the mission. Challenging the impossible is not for us to do alone. Who is for you? Who will support you? Who can help you? Find your team and engage them in making the impossible possible. For me, this is where I would say, turn "Impossible" into “We’re Possible”.

                              ENJOY YOUR MISSION IMPOSSIBLE...IF YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT!

Recently this word and concept, TOGETHER, has captured my attention.
I thought I would share some thoughts from my ponderings (Is that a word?? LOL).
There are some parts of the definition of the word "together" that I would like to focus on.
1. Not separated
2. Indicates a union of various parts, members.
3. Various elements or members joined in a cooperation.
4. Individual pieces being unified into a structure or arrangement.
5. Free of agitation and upset. Calmness. Unshaken.

One of the pictures that come to my mind is the picture of sheep being scattered in a field grazing. Then when the shepherd calls them, they begin to move toward that sound and come together being joined by the sound of their shepherd's call. (Follow this link to a shepherd in Vietnam calling his sheep.)

I think in life we can become scattered or less connected with one another. It could be with our spouse, our children, our friends, etc. What causes this? Probably a myriad of things. I think busyness is one of the main things. Allowing ourselves to be distracted from the things that are important by things that are urgent (but not important). I think of a recent example of this. A friend and I were working on a project together. I had received news of some immediate changes and reached out to discuss this with her. In the midst of this, she explained that she had set priority to her morning hours being for her father. I honored that and found another way to communicate that allowed more flexibility in her schedule and did not interrupt her scheduled time with her father. She had kept the important thing priority while allowing the urgent thing to be put in its proper order to be addressed.

When we become scattered or separated in our relationships, in our priorities, in our assignments, we can stop and recognize what is happening. It is important to stay united or joined to our relationships, our assignments, our visions, our priorities. When I think about the definition of "together", I also think of the idea of being free of agitation; being calm; being unshaken. It gives me more understanding of the importance of having "togetherness" in my life.

Another thought. Does being "together" mean that everything I do is in direct connection with my husband or another friend? Being in their company all the time to be together. Having no projects or adventures they are not involved in?
No, not exactly. Just think...if it meant that, then every husband and wife who work separate jobs would be in a state of "separation." I think the concept of being "Together" has more dimensions to it than the one dimension of being in the physical presence of someone. How important it is that we stay joined in our love, our concern, our communication with each other. Each one being committed to the health and value of the relationship. Physical contact with people is important, and at the same time, we can be physically together but miles apart in our love, our concern, our commitment, and our communication.

Our "togetherness" creates something. It creates a structure or an entity. It can create a family. It can create a friendship. It can create a business. It can create the reality of a vision or dream. Let us strive to be "together". We maybe separated by physical barriers, and at the same time, we can be joined together in our love and care for one another.

Take the time to communicate. Take the time to ask, "How can I care? How can I show love?"...even to those miles apart. Find the bridge that brings you together.

There is a fruit in Vietnam that I have become familiar with and enjoy. It is one of the main holiday fruits that is given during the Tet (Chinese New Year) season. This fruit is called Bưởi in Vietnamese or pomelo in English. It is in the grapefruit family. It has taken me about 3 years to really conqueror the peeling of this fruit. It is quite an extensive job to get through the tough outer skin then peel back the thick membrane that surrounds the juicy fruit sections.

This Tet season, as I peeled one of the Bưởi we were given, I had an illustration to come to mind. As I gave much energy and time to get to the center of this fruit where the juicy and delicious fruit was, I thought of the outer layers that I had to "fight" through to get to the beauty of this fruit! Is it worth the fight and the energy? Yes, I believe it is. One Bưởi (and that is a big piece of fruit) is only 230 calories and it packs some great nutritional value. One fruit gives you over 600% of your daily value of Vitamin C. One fruit gives you 37% of your daily value of potassium. One fruit gives you 6 g of fiber. One fruit gives you 4.6 g of protein. One fruit gives you 10% of your daily value of Vitamin B-6. And you even get some of your calcium for the day from this fruit! Geez! There's some good stuff there to keep a body healthy and all for just 230 calories (for those calorie watchers out there)! (Reference: https://g.co/kgs/1GxMNu)

Many times we see the outer tough layer that surrounds people and fail to see what lies deep inside hidden by the outer layer. It takes time, energy, and patience to peel past the outer layer and then the thick membrane to get to the reward of knowing that person...the beauty within. But when we take the time and energy with patience guiding the process, we can come into a relationship that nourishes our life tremendously!! We are divinely designed to need people. There is much research that documents that people need support networks of other people. This is one of the hallmark traits of people who are resilient through the tough stuff of life...they have a support network that they draw strength and help from. Positive and healthy relationships are packed with good nutrients for our lives!

Another interesting tidbit about the Bưởi is that the outside skin can be used for healthier hair. Now I don't know much about this. I just had a local tell me that he knows people in Vietnam (including his family) will boil the outside skin and then use the water to wash their hair in. It has been used to help with hair loss and seems to help increase the health of their hair.

As I reflect on this...I think of the Proverb that speaks of friends sharpening friends like iron sharpening iron. Even the interactions we have that are not pleasant or may seem more difficult like the tough skin of the fruit...they still provide a benefit into the health of our lives.

The main take-away? Take time for relationships. We need them! They are more valuable than we often realize! Even the tough ones!!

Here are some pictures of my process of peeling the Bưởi. Actually after I finished this Bưởi, I learned a better and easier method that I will use next time...we are always learning!