Here is what I recently became aware of on a recent trip. 

Perhaps you already knew this so play along for the new learner in me. 

The first airplanes came about after years of trials, learning how to design and then came the lift. 

Yes, I know that is a mighty simplified version so go with it, will ya? 

Thanks for moving along to the fact that most folks in the world were in this camp when they said it would be impossible to have it happen. 

Impossible is big to think about yet that was the word on the street. 

This is one of the first designs that I was able to see on that excursion from 1866. 

I love that it is displayed going up to show that flight would be possible. 

Do you see that the basic designs were beginning to take shape? 

Hundreds of hours or more had gone into the work for this one plane. 

They said it would be impossible. 

Regardless that they said it would be impossible, the designer continued going. 

My heart was becoming curious as I walked along and saw each design. 

How did they find the will and drive to do this work? I wondered what they would talk about to themselves during this process. 

This thought came next. Who was in their realm as they started and continued? 

Did others believe in them? 

I choose to think about all the team members who rallied around them. 

Here is what came next for me. 

When they said it was impossible did the inventors of this beginning type of airplane consider that or go back to their drafting board to keep going? 

Let’s consider a couple of things as we keep going with this. 

Someone told me it would be impossible.

There is a piece to this when someone told me that it would be impossible. 

I was training for a race years ago when the training was becoming intense. 

Trails and uphill running hours were increasing to get ready for the start time. 

I was starting to wonder if the race would be too long for me.

When I shared this with a friend, they broke the word impossible into ‘I’m possible’ and my new mindset was beginning to take shape. 

My friend heard that this phrase was a way to pop the impossible onto its head and turn it into a way to make it doable. 

Wait, did you hear what I said? It was fabulous. 

This new way of looking at things was incredible, and I ran with it. 

Literally. 

Running up the mountains and into another way of training began from here. 

The start of the race came along with two more things. 

My friends who ran the race with me may have been like those who supported the airplane designers. 

They shared in a mindset that kept me running even at midnight when they reminded me that I had the strength to continue. 

Here is when the truth came to me from another friend. As the most intense part of the race was coming to me, my training seemed to not be enough. 

How could this have happened? My mind was playing with me. 

This was not the plan after months of going up and down so this was where my muse came into action. 

A friend said this straight to me: Julia- you are Dallin’s mom. Get up. Do this race. 

You better believe that the race was completed.

You better believe that the race was completed with a good pace, people who believed and with me knowing that I was possible.

Others believed in my uphill training with me and knew how to support my goals to finish the race with strong legs while having fun. 

Mindfulness and memories still do that. 

Could that have been part of how airplanes and many more things came to be? 

I do know that it works for me. 

As I look at this first airplane, I think about how I thought they said it would be impossible until we change what can be. 

Here is what I have come to know.

Can we be there with others as they do what some say is impossible? 

May we think about this as we now say I’m possible together.