“That will never happen.”
“Don’t be so naive”
“The world doesn’t work like that.”
So often when ideas are put forward, postulated or mused on the response is one of the three options above. Shot down in flames within seconds of being put out into the world. Dead before they have even had the chance to take a gasp of breath. It’s inconceivable because it has never been conceived of before and we leave it as inconceivable without believing it could be otherwise.
We seem to forget that any change is just a thought (followed by an action) away.
What was was “impossible” becomes possible. What was at a time ridiculous becomes an everyday norm.
Just last week, Alex Honnold rock climbed Yosemite’s 3,000-foot El Capitan wall without any ropes or safety gear. Absolutely preposterous, crazy, impossible, and yet now it has been done (although to be honest may never be done again because Alex is a freak of nature, in the best possible way!). He believed it was possible and so thus it is true.
I have been thinking the past few days about how great it would be if the opposition in the UK formed a formal coalition and became a strong, collaborative alternative to potentially stop things now but also be ready to deliver change in the future. Wouldn’t it be amazing if there was a strong and united opposition that was actually cross-party.
I called myself naive. Although I never actually declared it to the world (before now) I could hear the responses telling me that our political system doesn’t support that. That politics is about competition not collaboration. But you know what, all it would actually require is someone (Corbyn I guess) thinking “maybe I can try something different” and then giving it a go. Sure there would be likely be an outcry and potentially thousands of reasons why it wouldn’t work, but the actual CHANGE would just require the same thought I have already had and small actions to bring it to life.
It got me wondering how many other ideas I have that I don’t put out into the world. How many other thoughts I pass by without allowing them to instigate change in either myself or the world around me. How often am I believing something is not possible and casting it away with a simple thought, when in just as simple of a thought I could bring it to life.
I can’t change the political system in the UK by myself but I can change what I choose to share and perhaps that could instigate change. I can also change the way I interact with the world. The actions I undertake. The words I share. The things I bring to life. I am starting to realise just how much is actually possible if we allowed ourselves to enact our thoughts rather than shoot them down.
Call me naive. Call me a dreamer. Call me deluded. I really don’t care.
I would love to see what is possible if everyone realised how easy instigating change really is and took those thoughts and brought them to life, before the naysayers can get in and tell you why it will never happen. The act of change may have challenges but the instigation is actually incredibly easy. Perhaps it is time to start voicing and instigating the change.