On Doing the Impossible

I thought that today we would reflect on some ancient inspirational advice.

"Start by doing what is necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible"-St Francis of Assisi

St. Francis lived in the 13th century, and he believed he had an impossible mission. When he was a young man, he went off to battle against the Perugians, who were major rivals of his people, the Assisians. He was captured by the Perugians and became their prisoner for a year; during this time, he fell ill. While sick, he encountered God in a dream. From that time forth, he embarked on a journey to do something amazing and difficult-God's will. He became an evangelist and an advocate for the poor.

I believe that we all have been given special missions to complete-a purpose for our lives. I have spent time curiously wondering what my purpose might be, and while I can't be certain yet what exactly I'm supposed to be doing, I think it involves communicating the inherent infinite worth and equality of all people to all people.

What is your mission in life? Maybe it is something similar, to show people how valuable they are in the eyes of God. Maybe it is to give your kids a decent start in life, or to leave your mark on the world through a high-powered career.

Life missions are difficult tasks for anyone, but for someone with a mental illness they can seem impossible. Someone suffering from depression may barely be able to feed himself, let alone solve the problem of world hunger!

As someone who deals with avolition (lack of motivation), it can be difficult for me to accomplish what I set out to do. I have thought a lot about how I can engineer my life to work around my motivation deficit, and I have found some strategies that help-making lists, developing good habits, making chores as enjoyable as possible. These strategies only work on good days, however.

How can we be effective individuals in our occupational, social, and spiritual lives while dealing with symptoms? Perhaps we should start by doing what is necessary. If you have terrible social anxiety, force yourself to interact with your classmates on the group project you were assigned. Then do what is possible; see if you can attend that party for just one hour. Finally, branch into the impossible. Transcend your fears and become part of a social world that is infinitely larger than yourself. Connect and interact with friends and strangers alike to cooperatively create a more welcoming, accepting world that is less anxiety-provoking.

"Nothing is impossible; the word itself says I'm possible'!"-Audrey Hepburn