50 Stories Tall: The Third Story - That’s Unpossible!

As we continue swimming into the waves of this year, working to gain our bearings after the tidal pounding of the previous 12 months, I wonder if you (like me) find yourself wildly searching the waves for crests, to counter the troughs, in an ocean of bullshit that ceaselessly seems to smack against the shores of our daily lives.

Let’s find a way to grab onto hope and Possibility, is what I’m saying.

Well then why didn’t you just say that, idiot? 

Fair question. For the purposes of this exercise, I want you to think of everything in our lives, our careers, and our daily projects as a turbulent ocean, through which we must navigate using our best knowledge, reasonable raw belief, and a comfy Swimsuit of Optimism?. 

What does that mean? Well, part of my job as a marketer is to find the messages that resonate with the most people, in the most effective ways. And this week, over and over, we were exposed to one of the widest-reaching and most effective messages: Possibility.  

At its best, Possibility is tied to our imaginations, and our dreams, and our hopes. And maybe more powerfully than that, it can be a counterweight to our fears. 

The crests to our troughs. 

In the United States this week, we jumped into our quadrennial flexing of American Possibility, with an Inauguration of the President. Without stepping into any kind of discussion of left/right political silliness, this is the perfect time to really take a look at perceptions of what’s Possible. Just think of your feelings and the feelings of those around you. Remember the kinds of evaluations and emotions you saw on display or had yourself. 

For better or worse, the forces grounded in Possibility are strong.    

Just look at the crests of the waves that young Amanda Gorman rode, as she eloquently discussed the Possibilities of hope in her Inaugural poem The Hill We Climb:

When day comes we step out of the shade,

aflame and unafraid,

the new dawn blooms as we free it.

For there is always light,

if only we're brave enough to see it.

If only we're brave enough to be it.

We're all in search of what’s Possible, and we are enlivened by it.

It’s telling that politics is the first thing that brought Possibility to my mind this week, because there’s a phrase that’s often bandied about - The Art of the Possible - that originates in politics and I think is often misused in our business and personal lives. 

Otto Von Bismark (more commonly known as Bismark-V, probably) made the concept famous when he stated that “Politics is the art of the possible.” This statement really grabs hold and wrings all of the hopeful optimism out of my take on Possibility, doesn’t it? What ol’ Otto Biz is saying here is that the only "Possible" that really matters is that which you can reasonably achieve through negotiation, coercion, concession, and watering-down.

I mean, he’s right, technically, but that’s a tactical take on Possibility. As marketers, what we need to look at is the way in which people - our audiences, clients, partners, and consumers - perceive Possibility. 

A perfect illustration of this is the next example of Possibilities this week: Big Ass Lotteries. In America, we had one person win a lottery this week that was greater than $730 million. We have another lottery that has just reached $1 BILLION. For some perspective, that’s like if you took a one dollar bill and stacked it up a billion times. 

Really paint a picture with words, don’t I?

The truth is that, mathematically, you have no chance of winning. Practically zero. But, frankly, we are all very stupid and bad at math, because we have this trigger in our brains that’s called Possibility.

Yes, we won’t win. We know that. It just ain’t gonna happen. 

But what if it did. That would be cool. 

Though cultivating “Anything’s Possible!” in the face of all reason can be a driving force for evil, it should instead be used to drive the optimistic forces of hope and promise in all you do, in your business and personal life. In marketing, you should be striving to promote that sense in your brand and products, where applicable. 

Does there have to be some kind of payoff on making Possible real? Sure! But one of the side-benefits of Possibility, is that it often comes with this sense of community and togetherness. See, there’s often an inherent belief, without needing to be stated explicitly, that we can make the Possible happen by working together. 

Think of all of the areas of your life in which this reveals itself… 

Can we make this relationship work? Yes, it’s possible if we work together. 

Can this insane deadline be met? Yes, it’s possible if we all jump in. 

Can we overcome the challenges of our time? Yes, it’s possible, together.

In your next strategic sessions at work, or even in your own personal life, talk a bit about incorporating the promise of Possibility. Strengthen your messaging with What’s Possible.

As for the personal storytelling time this week, it’s actually pretty quick. 

My parents just celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary on Thursday, and it got me thinking about all of the possibilities of their life, and my life, and the lives of our family and friends. All of the things that lined up (and didn’t), all of the dreams that were realized (or weren’t), all of the chances taken (or not). The influence that we’ve all had on one another, and those around us, over so many years. 

It gave me hope, to think about the wild wide wave that’s been launched by their 60 years, engulfing so many people in the wake they’ve created. We navigate all of this together. We hope and dream of what we can make happen together. We are alive together.

Anything’s possible, y’all. 

Cory helps lead Marketing and Client Leadership at YAH agency in Atlanta, where he  shows brands and their customers what’s possible, together. His passions are writing, photography, and annoying his co-workers.