May 6, 1954, the impossible became possible.
On this date, Roger Bannister became the first man to break the 4 minute mile barrier. He broke not only a supposed physical barrier, but a psychological one as well.
In 1945, Sweden’s Gunder Haag had set the world record of 4:01.4. Now, 10 years later, no one had been able to break the barrier. Doctors of the time said it was impossible for a man to run that fast. Many doctors said it would not only be dangerous but lethal.
Bannister decided it needed to be done. As a medical student studying physiology and neurology at Oxford, Bannister trained himself mentally as well as physically.
On May 6, 1954, Bannister stepped onto a track at Oxford. In less than ideal circumstances, everything seemed against the breakthrough moment. As he began his last lap, he would have to perform a seemingly impossible 59 second final lap. In a moment, the world seemed to come to a standstill as a mere 3,000 spectators watched with anticipation. Bannister crossed the finish line at exactly 3:59.4.
The impossible became possible.
As remarkable as this event was, here is something even more startling that transpired. Forty-six days later, Australian John Landy broke Bannister’s record. Many considered Landy to be the top runner of the era. He had come within 1.5 seconds of the 4 minute mile barrier; however, he had all but given up on the fact he could accomplish it. Once Bannister broke the barrier, it suddenly became possible for Landy as well. Before the year was out, three other athletes had broken the “impossible” barrier. By 1957, 16 runners had broken the seemingly impossible limitation.
What was thought to be impossible became possible.
Most of the limitations on our lives are self-imposed. The biggest limitation is often what we think is possible for us to experience in our lives. Most psychologists suggest that by the time we graduate high school, we have already determined what we can or cannot do with our lives. However, if we learn to remove those limitations by truly understanding who we are in Christ, we will soar to new heights in virtually every area of our lives.
If you’ve read some of my previous blogs, you will have discovered by now that we will either believe the Word of God or the five elements of our personal belief system (PBS). Those five elements are:
- Social Environment
- Authority Figures
- Self-Image
- Repetitious Information
- Experience
You either believe what you believe by default or you set your own beliefs in your heart and mind. It’s time to turn your impossible into possible. Discover who you are in Christ!
