Doing The Impossible

by Patrick Bet-David

  “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”

  — Albert Einstein

  Sometimes the best movies we ever watch are the ones we direct in our own minds. That is the magic of books and movies: The imagination of the creator awakens our own imaginations as we share in the fantasy.

  “I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them.”

  — Pablo Picasso

  But what role does imagination play in real life?

  We can sometimes let our imagination run away with us, often in the wrong direction:

  Where does your imagination take you when the phone rings after midnight?

  What do you imagine when you lend your car to your sixteen year old for the first time?

  Where does your imagination take you when you’re walking by yourself late at night and you hear footsteps behind you?

  Still, imagination can do amazing things when we let it run wild in the right direction. Imagination is a critical part of daily life; everything starts with imagination. When we are dating, we picture what it would be like to marry that person before we make the commitment. Before we buy our dream house, we must first envision it. Before you build a business, you must first conceive it in your mind.

  “Imagination rules the world.”

  — Napoleon Bonaparte

  Before you do the impossible, you must first imagine it. And just as movie directors and fiction writers bring us into their imagination, our imagination has the power to inspire others.

  Let me give you an example:

  In 1974, UCLA’s basketball team was on an eighty-eight game winning streak. The Bruins seemed unbeatable. Despite overwhelming odds, Notre Dame Coach Digger Phelps had faith that his team could beat the undefeated Bruins. He just needed to make his players believe it.

  At the end of the first day of practice the week before the game, Phelps asked his team to imagine how beating UCLA would feel. He told them to celebrate as if they had just won the big game. At first his team gave it a half-hearted effort, perhaps thinking that the exercise was corny or a waste of time. But Coach Phelps persisted and each day after practice the team would celebrate as if they had just beaten the Bruins. By the final practice, the team needed no prompting from their coach. After practice they instantaneously burst into celebration, jumping up and down, yelling and hugging each other with the imagined feeling of victory over their legendary rivals.

  “The man who has no imagination has no wings.”

  — Muhammad Ali

  By the time of the big game, the Fighting Irish basketball team had envisioned their moment of victory with such passion and clarity that defeat was not an option. Notre Dame scored the last twelve points of the game to defeat top-ranked UCLA 71-70, ending the Bruins’ record eighty-eight game domination. They won after they believed they were going to win. They believed it because they imagined it so many times.

  Many leaders have used this inspiring story to show the importance of believing in your people, but I see Phelps as a leader who used the gift of imagination to steer the soul of his team towards doing the impossible.

  Action Item:

  Answer the following questions and let your imagination run wild.

  1. What would you do with a million dollars?

  2. If you could be anyone in the world, who would you want to be? (President? Professional athlete? Movie star? Fortune 100 CEO?)

  3. If money were not an issue, what car would you buy?

  4. If you could live anywhere, where would it be? What would your house look like?

  5. In the future, there is an event being held in your honor. How does the host introduce you?

  Law 9

  Be as Curious as Alice

  We all remember the story of Alice, the curious child whose inquisitive streak led her down a rabbit-hole and into Wonderland. The book explains that Alice had to follow the White Rabbit because she was “burning with curiosity.” That same curiosity led Alice to down bottles that said “drink me” and cakes that said “eat me” and enter a strange world that became “curiouser and curiouser.” Her desire to uncover every mystery is one of the things that most children reading the story can relate to.

  There are some things that we do as children that we unfortunately do less of as adults. Children are constantly learning and growing. They are curious about the world around them and anxious to learn and try new things. Curiosity is a gift from God that shouldn’t disappear when we become adults. Learning is something that is just as important at age seventy as it is at age seven. Too many of us stop asking questions in life as we get older; we simply lose that childlike thirst for knowledge. Part of the reason is the fact that we are afraid of being embarrassed, looking foolish or ruffling feathers. But at the end of the day, the worst question is one that is never asked.

  “Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.”

  — Albert Einstein

  Curiosity is not just about learning new facts or information. The great ones don’t just want to learn; they want to learn to do. They become students of those who do things better or differently and learn what they know. Once they have one thing down, they move onto something new, always learning, ever evolving their abilities.

  Let me give you a great real world example: Kobe Bryant.

  When Kobe Bryant first came into the league, he wanted to learn every part of the game: foot work, outside shot, defense, closing, turn-around shot, posting up, and every other tool of the game. Kobe was a great player even then and a sought-after draft pick. However, critics thought that he made a mistake by not playing college ball to refine his game before going to the NBA. But Kobe understood that he didn’t know everything, and he became one of the best students ever to play in the NBA. While his peers and competitors were excited just to be in the pros, Kobe wanted to be the greatest of all time. One of the biggest differences between Kobe and other players who enter the NBA is the fact that Kobe has never stopped learning.

  “Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.”

  — Voltaire

  Even after establishing himself as one of the great ones in the NBA, Kobe kept evolving his skill set. In 2009, with four championship rings already on his finger, Kobe went to Hakeem Olajuwon to master his footwork. Here’s what Kobe said about working with Hakeem Olajuwon: “I got a chance to work with the greatest post player ever. I’ve always been a student of the game, and he was very patient with me.” Phil Jackson said of Kobe’s drive to learn, “Kobe always comes back with a goal, he doesn’t go through summer playing golf or going fishing. He’s got something in his mind he’s going to work on with his game during the offseason.”

  “Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning.”

  — William Arthur Ward

  Kobe Bryant is just one example. Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs kept asking “what if” questions that first enabled and then revolutionized personal computing. The secrets of the universe or the secrets of better footwork and everything in between are all available to those who want to learn. You just have to start with the desire to learn and grow. Then get in touch with your inner Alice. Ask why and how and who can I learn from? The great thing about healthy curiosity is that it doesn’t ever need to be satisfied; you can keep learning and trying new things as long as you live.

  Action Item:

  What are some areas of your life where you can use your gift of curiosity to increase your learning?

  1.

  2.

  3.

  Law 10

  Break Away from the Old You

  There are two types of people in the world: those who wait and those who do. Those who wait spend most of their lives in the planning stage, getting ready to do something. They talk about their dreams in terms of “someday.” Those who wait are waiting for that perfect
moment when all the stars align for them to go after their dreams. They say things like “I will do it… after my kids are older… when I have enough money… when I have more time.” The reality is that “someday” never comes and the person who waits misses every opportunity while holding out for that perfect moment.

  Doers understand that time flies. We get one shot at life. Whatever it is that you want to do with it, don’t wait until the opportunities pass you by. We never feel completely ready for life’s big decisions; but in taking the leap, we push ourselves to the next level.

  It’s funny how sometimes having nothing to lose gives you the motivation to make a big change. In March of 1997 my mother moved back to Iran. My father had had a heart attack a few years earlier and was in poor health. I was on my third job and attending Glendale Community College. I had to sell my Chevy S10 for $1,700 just to afford a place to live for a month with my sister. So my mom left me her Toyota Corolla to use while she was in Iran. One day I went out to the curb to get in the car and it wasn’t there.

  “Do not wait; the time will never be just right. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.”

  — Napoleon Hill

  Something about getting my car stolen when I was already struggling pushed me into an immediate decision. I had dreamed of joining the Army since I was fourteen, but I had put off enlisting when I graduated high school. That very moment, I called my dad and asked him to drive me to the Army recruiting station in Glendale, California. The Army wanted me to wait months to enter basic training; but I pushed, and within two weeks I was in boot camp in South Carolina.

  The split second decision to join the Army turned out to be the best path that I could have chosen at that point in my life. The Army challenged me, built my character, and helped shape my identity into what it is today. The lesson is that sometimes the best decisions that we make are ones that we make before we feel ready. Procrastination is just a word for taking the time to talk yourself out of something.

  I remember one day I was talking to a very successful mentor, and he asked me when I planned to get married. I told him that I wanted to wait until I was financially stable. My mentor looked at me and said, “Patrick, we are never fully ready for the big decisions in life, whether that’s getting married, having children, or starting a business.”

  Consider the words General George Patton wrote in his diary on November 6, 1942, right before a pivotal battle in World War II:

  “In forty hours I shall be in battle, with little information, and on the spur of the moment will have to make most momentous decisions, but I believe that one’s spirit enlarges with responsibility and that, with God’s help, I shall make them and make them right. It seems my whole life has been leading up to this moment.”

  Patton said that “one’s spirit enlarges with opportunity.” He didn’t know what was going to happen once the battle started. All of his training and preparation could not guarantee the outcome or circumstances. But he took a leap of faith, believing in his purpose and that with Divine support he would be able to make the right tactical decisions in the moment. Doers enlarge their spirit by taking on more responsibility, going after new challenges, and crossing into un-chartered territories.

  “Things do come to those who wait, but only those things left over from those who hustle.”

  — Abraham Lincoln

  Action Item:

  1. What are three good habits you have that have served you in your life?

  1.

  2.

  3.

  Action Item:

  2. What are three bad habits you can break away from to help recreate yourself?

  1.

  2.

  3.

  Law 11

  Decide to Be the Chosen One

  Being a “Chosen One” doesn’t mean that your name is Jesus and you can walk on water; that’s not what this chapter is about. It’s about being someone with a calling to be the hero, someone with a higher purpose. Those who do the impossible want to be the chosen ones. They desire to be the solution to the problem. They thrive on people relying on them. They enjoy delivering on their promises. They seek out responsibility. This mentality might not make sense to everyone, but this is one of the things that makes the chosen ones different.

  There are twelve guys on a basketball roster, but the chosen one is the player who wants the ball when the team is down two points with only four seconds left to play in the championship game. If he makes the shot he gets all the glory, the praise, and the press. But if he misses the shot, he gets the crowd’s disappointment and the feeling of letting his team down. You see, being the chosen one in any arena comes with a price.

  Imagine the pressure in an NBA championship game to make that winning shot. Most people will never feel the burden or the glory of shooting the winning basket in the NBA. But we have the opportunity to be the hero in other ways. Our country, our economy, and a lot of families are facing challenging times. When times are hard, heroes rise up. Tough times don’t create heroes, but challenges reveal the hero inside of us. Even though a chosen one will get the glory, that isn’t their number one motivation. A hero wants to make an impact and leave a legacy. He has a sense of responsibility to a cause.

  “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”

  — Christopher Reeve

  I am asked to speak all across the country, and I have noticed one question that I am frequently asked: “Can one person really make a difference?” My response is very simple. Did Martin Luther King, Billy Graham, Albert Einstein, Alexander Graham Bell, or Thomas Edison make a difference? Did the people who knew these men before they achieved greatness know that they were one day going to become such heroes? Did they see them as the person who is talked about, written about, and quoted by thousands worldwide?

  Christopher Reeve is a great example of someone who decided to be the chosen one in his battle against spinal cord injury. He recognized his opportunity to use his fame and his injury to help the thousands that suffer from paralysis. He made his crusade about much more than his own personal struggle. Even beyond the death of Reeve himself, the Christopher Reeve Foundation continues to have a profound impact on awareness, funding, research, and education for victims of spinal cord injury.

  “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. ”

  — Joseph Campbell

  I believe we’re at a time in this country where we’re counting on many people all across the nation to decide to be the chosen ones of their generation. This country is looking for the next generation of heroes. They’re not all going to be in the same industry; they’ll be in technology, science, sports, politics, education, finance, the church, the military, local communities, and many other places.

  “Playing a victim only attracts other victims in your life. Being a stud attracts other studs in your life. The choice is yours.”

  — Patrick Bet-David

  What is your cause? If you decide to become the chosen one, what are you “chosen” to do? This book is not about telling you what your crusade should be. That has to be a personal decision based on the fire inside you. Have a clear picture of what you feel chosen to do and make that your purpose. Your life will never be the same, and it will be more exhilarating than you can imagine.

  Food for thought:

  Imagine that one hundred years from now from now your picture is on the wall of your great-grandkid’s home. What would you want them to say about you?

  Law 12

  Go ”All In” with One Industry

  We are living in times where everyone is looking for the latest and greatest thing. But if you look at history, whether one hundred years ago or ten years ago, the great ones all devoted their passion to one thing and stuck with it. The reality is that if you try to do too many things, you will do none of them
very well. The great ones are not those who pursue every opportunity or try everything that interests them. They are dedicated to a path and they are not distracted by every new, shiny object that catches their eye.

  In poker, going “all in” is when you bet all your chips on one hand. It can be a sign of how strong your hand is, or it can be a bluff; but either way, the player is 100% committed to that hand. Becoming one of the greats at anything means being willing to put all your chips in the pot and make that industry your “all in” choice.

  “Think enthusiastically about everything, but especially about your job. If you do so, you’ll put a touch of glory in your life.”

  — Norman Vincent Peale

  When you think about Michael Jordan, one sport comes to mind. Jordan dedicated himself to basketball and become one of the best players in NBA history. At one point, Jordan took a break from basketball to go back to his favorite childhood sport of baseball. It didn’t work out very well.

  Just like a successful marriage means going all in with the right person for the rest of your life, being great at something means marrying the right industry or activity. Donald Trump married real estate. Steve Jobs put all his chips into Apple and innovative consumer technology products. Mohammed Ali went all in with boxing. He didn’t quit in the middle of his career to try his hand at football. Those who choose to do the impossible don’t commit to their path for five years; they commit for twenty years, or for life.