“The Story of 3:59.4”. It always seems impossible until it is done.

We often believe something can’t be done simply because it hasn’t been done before. But once the psychological barrier is broken, what was once unthinkable becomes inevitable.

Since 1886, runners had chased the elusive goal of the 4-minute mile. Attempt after attempt fell short, and over time, people began to believe it was physically impossible.

Then on May 6, 1954, Roger Bannister, a 25-year-old medical student, packed his running shoes for work, completed his hospital shift, took a train to Oxford, ate a ham sandwich, laced up his shoes, and ran into legend.

Roger Bannister clocked 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds. The psychological wall was shattered.

What was once impossible had been done. The floodgates had opened.

His record stood for just 46 days. A year later, three runners broke the 4-minute mark in the same race.

The floodgates had opened.

Since then, the mile record has steadily fallen. The current record stands at 3:43.17 seconds.

Someone had to do it first. And when Bannister did, the collective mindset changed. But the most important shift wasn’t physical—it was mental.

His story reminds me of the parable of "The Elephant and the Rope".

A huge elephant shackled to a tiny stick with a flimsy rope. It will not require much effort to break free, yet the mighty creature stood there shackled.

The trainer explained, “I tied that rope when he was born. He tried hard to escape at first. But after a few days, he gave up. Now, he no longer tries—he’s mentally shackled forever.”

There’s an elephant in each of us.

Our dreams, potential, and ambition are often limited not by what’s real, but by what we’ve been taught to believe is real.

The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. What hasn’t been done yet doesn’t mean it can’t be.

Take it easy until next time.

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