Why the word Impossible often means Not Yet

Nelson Mandela once said, “It always seems impossible until it's done,” and I think that sentence finds its way into your heart when you're standing at the edge of something you can't quite imagine finishing. He wasn’t speaking from theory. He lived that line through decades of imprisonment, sacrifice, and a country that needed change more than it needed comfort. When Mandela finally walked out of prison after 27 years, he didn’t just walk into freedom, he walked into leadership. And he did it with grace, not bitterness.

The scale of 'impossible' looks different to everyone

When we hear Mandela’s words today, we don’t have to apply them to global movements or revolutionary politics. The impossibles in our lives are often quieter like leaving a relationship, starting over after a job loss, going back to school in your thirties, or even just trying to get out of bed during a depressive episode. The mountain might look different, but the feeling is the same. You stare at it, and something inside says, “I can’t.” But Mandela reminds us that the finish line often looks unreachable until one day you’re crossing it.

Mandela’s worldview was shaped by persistence

His quote wasn’t a motivational one-liner. It was a reflection of a lifetime spent doing the things others thought could never be done—abolishing apartheid, uniting a deeply divided nation, forgiving those who once dehumanized him. It’s important to remember that he didn’t move through that journey with perfect certainty. He had doubts. He had grief. But what makes this quote endure is that it honors the humanity inside perseverance. Not the polished triumph, but the trudging, day-by-day belief that things could be better.

You can read more about Mandela’s life and political journey here: https://www.history.com/topics/africa/nelson-mandela

Modern impossibles and quiet victories

These days, the word “impossible” can show up in much smaller moments. For a parent navigating a child’s illness, or someone recovering from heartbreak, or a person carrying generational trauma. It all feels impossible until something shifts. A kind message. A good night’s sleep. A choice to keep going.

I think about a friend of mine who went back to college at 39. For years, she told herself it was too late. Too hard. Too expensive. She kept putting it off, and yet she never really let the dream die. One day she filled out the form. Now she’s two semesters from graduating. That’s what Mandela meant. The impossible shrinks the moment you move toward it.

The quiet turning point

There’s a moment in every hard thing when you stop looking at the size of it and just take the next step. Maybe you don’t even believe in the outcome yet but you believe in your own small motion. And then eventually, the step turns into another, and the thing you thought you could never do becomes something you’ve already done. That shift can feel so subtle you almost miss it.

What we carry forward

Mandela’s quote isn’t about denying fear. It’s about honoring the effort. It’s about the people who keep showing up even when the road looks endless. You don’t have to believe in the ending to take the first step. And when you do reach that so-called impossible? Don’t forget to look back and realize just how far you came.

So if you're in the middle of something that feels undoable, breathe. Rest. Then try again. Maybe it still feels impossible. But maybe, just maybe, you're closer than you think.