沒有不可能，除非你放棄

我的朋友蓋瑞‧亥非(Gary Highfield)寫了一本書叫做「當想要變成必須要Want To” Becomes “Have To!”註1」」，內容是關於他打敗惡劣的命運，成為一個成功的企業領袖的故事。童年的他生活非常不穩定，也不知道自己的生父是誰，甚至親眼目睹慘痛的家族悲劇。面對童年的困難以及後來成為一個年輕丈夫和父親的經濟窘境，蓋瑞用了一個決定性的策略來改變他的環境。

在他的生命過程中，他發現了許多有用的生活準則，包括下面這一句: 「沒有不可能，除非你自己先放棄。」這個準則看起來很簡單，卻是意義深遠。週遭的人說蓋瑞不可能成為一個頂尖的企業領導者、一個小型公司的老闆和一個商業的融資人員。但蓋瑞全部辦到了，全是因為他拒絕相信他想要做的事是不可能的。

還有很多其他的例子，這些人無視負面的聲音，看出不可能中的可能，堅持不放棄。如米開朗基羅一開始畫西斯汀大教堂的天棚壁畫時，許多人毀謗他；愛迪生為了發明燈泡嘗試了無數種的可能，他拒絕半途而廢，直到他成功為止。

1943年 IBM的執行長托馬斯·J·沃森 (Thomas Watson)說到：「我想這世界也許需要五台電腦。」1977數位設備公司的創辦人肯歐森 (Ken Olson)說：「不可能每個人在家都需要一台電腦。」但是透過努力、遠見、創新和對不可能說不，許多人證明了這兩位商業鉅子說的是錯誤的。

在聖經裡很直接的說，「對神的信心，可以使不可能成為可能。」

不能單打獨鬥 許多我們想要達成的目標，通常靠自己的力量是無法完成的。沒有不可能的事情，但是要靠眾人的力量，我們需要別人的幫助。

靠著神凡事都能 如果你有像神那麼大的夢想和目標要完成，就必須轉向那位給你夢想的神。就像耶穌告訴他的門徒: 耶穌看著他們，說：「在人是不能，在　神卻不然，因為　神凡事都能。」(馬可福音10章27節)

我們需要正確的動機 我們有時必須問自己，爲什麼要做這些?爲什麼完成這件事對我來說很重要?我們動機不是自我滿足，而是討神的喜悅和榮耀祂，我們可以倚靠祂的幫助和引導。「又要以耶和華為樂，他就將你心裏所求的賜給你。」(詩篇37篇4節)

勞勃．泰默西是領袖資產協會的傳播部副部長，這是一個總部在美國喬治亞州亞特蘭大的非營利組織。他也是一個有40年經驗的退休新聞工作者。他寫過一本書「最佳狀態的商業：箴言給今日職場的歷久彌新智慧」（Business At Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today”s Workplace）。他也與David A. Stoddard合著一本書「導師之心」（The Heart of Mentoring）。要了解更多資訊, 可上網www.leaderslegacy.com 或上他的部落格www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com以及www.bobtamasy.wordpress.com 。

My friend, Gary Highfield, has written an outstanding book called When “Want To” Becomes “Have To!”, his story of overcoming formidable odds to become a successful business leader: He never knew his biological father and had a very unsettled childhood, even witnessing devastating family tragedy while he was a boy. Facing these hardships, along with financial adversity he encountered as a young husband and father, Gary undertook a very determined strategy for dramatically changing his circumstances.

He discovered many useful life principles during this process, including this declaration: “Impossible is not possible – until you quit.” This seven-word statement seems simple, but it is profound. Time and again, people told Gary what he could not do, such as becoming a top-producing, industry-leading salesman, an entrepreneur, small business owner and commercial loan officer. Yet he succeeded in achieving each of these goals. All because he refused to believe what he wanted to do was impossible.

There are many other examples of people who ignored negative voices, who recognized what people said was “impossible” in fact was possible – unless they quit trying. Michelangelo probably had his detractors when he embarked on painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Thomas Edison made multiple attempts at inventing an incandescent light bulb until he succeeded. He refused to quit trying.

In 1943, IBM chairman Thomas Watson stated, “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” And Digital Equipment Corp. founder Ken Olson said in 1977, “There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” However, through hard work, vision and innovation – understanding impossible is not possible until you quit – many men and women proved the one-time industry giants wrong.

The Bible directly addresses this issue. Faith in God, it declares, can move the “impossible” into reality:

We cannot do it alone. The fact is, many of our desired goals often are unattainable in our own strength. They are not impossible, but require more than the power we can muster within ourselves. We need power outside of ourselves. “I can do everything through (Christ) who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

We can – but only with God. If you have a God-sized dream or goal, accomplishing it requires willingness to turn to the One that gave you the dream. As Jesus told His followers, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27).

We need the right motivation. It makes sense sometimes to ask ourselves, “Why am I doing this? Why is accomplishing this so important to me?” If our inspiration is not self-gratification, but rather to please and honor God, we can rely on His divine assistance and direction. “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).

Robert J. Tamasy is vice president of communications for Leaders Legacy, Inc., a non-profit organization based in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. A veteran journalist, he has written Tufting Legacies (iUniverse); Business At Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today”s Workplace (River City Press); and has coauthored with David A. Stoddard, The Heart of Mentoring (NavPress). For more information, see www.leaderslegacy.com or his blogs, www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com and www.bobtamasy.wordpress.com.