It's All Possible summary

Imagine two colleagues. Both work at a big, flashy advertising agency downtown. Then, one morning, they get some bad news. They’re each called into the boss’s office in turn and told that they’re being fired. Bummer!

The first colleague immediately falls into despair. He declares himself a failure and spends the next few weeks wallowing on the couch. The second colleague takes a different approach. He’s disappointed, but doesn’t take it personally – after all, business is business. Instead of wallowing, he sees this setback as a chance to pursue his real passion: creative writing. 

A few years ago, Sarah Blanck had a problem. She had a good, steady job as a graphic designer, but she wasn’t happy. Every time she sat down to work, her eyes would stray from the screen. Instead of focusing on her latest design file, she’d spend hours staring out the window toward the sea.

Sarah’s passion wasn’t graphic design. It was sailing. No matter how much she tried to ignore it, she couldn’t stop picturing herself out on the water. So, fed up with merely fantasizing, she finally went for it. And it worked! She followed her passion all the way to the summer Olympics.

Sydney, 1975. George Miller and Byron Kennedy spend their days imagining a gritty, post-apocalyptic future in which roving gangs of motorheads fight explosive battles in the desolate Australian outback. The two friends know if they can just put their ideas on film, it will be a hit.

So they write a punchy, solid script. Then they use their work to recruit a promising young actor named Mel Gibson. Finally, they head out into the desert with dozens of used cars and a camera crew, determined to break all the rules of action filmmaking.

Let’s say you want to become an Olympic-level long-distance cyclist. It’s an ambitious goal, but you feel passionate enough to make it happen. In fact, it’s all you think about.

Each day, from dawn till dusk, you’re immersed in the world of bikes. You read cycling magazines, watch old cycling races on YouTube, and make frequent visits to the local bike shop to check out the latest gear. The only problem is that you hardly ever hop in the saddle and ride. With this approach, will you ever win a race?

Take a look at your CV. You probably have a section showing off your academic credentials. It might just list your college major and a professional license. Or maybe you went for higher degrees and you’ve got a master’s and doctorate there as well.

Either way, does this short resume represent all you’ve actually learned? Probably not. What about the survival skills you retain from childhood summer camps? Or the knack for showmanship you picked up from weeknight improv classes? What about the social skills and interpersonal touch you’ve developed from years of working with others?