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Make the Impossible Possible: One Man's Crusade to Inspire Others to Dream Bigger and Achieve the Extraordinary Audiobook
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(3.11) - 212 listener ratings
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“Success is the point where your most authentic talents, passion, values, and experiences intersect with the chance to contribute to some greater good.” --Bill Strickland According to MacArthur Fellowship “genius” award winner Bill Strickland, a successful life is not something you simply pursue, it is something that you create, moment by moment. It is a realization Strickland first came to when, as a poor kid growing up in a rough neighborhood of Pittsburgh, he encountered a high school ceramics teacher who took him under his wing and went on to transform his life. Over the past thirty years, Bill Strickland has been transforming the lives of thousands of people through the creation of Manchester Bidwell, a jobs training center and community arts program. Working with corporations, community leaders, and schools, he and his staff strive to give disadvantaged kids and adults the opportunities and tools they need to envision and built a better, brighter future. Strickland believes that every one of us has the potential for remarkable achievement. Every one of us can accomplish the impossible in our lives if given the right inspiration and motivation to do so. We all make ourselves “poor” in one way or another when we accept that we are not smart enough, experienced enough, or talented enough to accomplish something. Bill Strickland works with the least advantaged among us, and if he can help them achieve the impossible in their lives, think what each of us can do. Among Bill Strickland’s beliefs: People are born into this world as assets, not liabilities. It’s all in the way we treat people (and ourselves) that determines a person’s outcome The sand in the hourglass flows only one way. Stop going through the motions of living--savor each and every day. Life is here and now, not something waiting for you in the future. You don’t have to travel far to change the life you’re living. Bill grew up in the Pittsburgh ghetto, four blocks from where he came to build one of the foremost job training centers in the world. He now speaks before CEOs and political leaders, church congregations and civic leaders. You only need to change your thinking to remake your world. Through lessons from his own life experiences, and those of countless others who have overcome their circumstances and turned their lives around, Make the Impossible Possible shows how all of us can build on our passions and strengths, dream bigger and set the bar higher, achieve meaningful success and help mentor and inspire the lives of others.
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"Discovery of one's creative self leads to the development of an unyielding conviction that an individual can rise above limiting circumstances to help to enrich the lives of others as well as oneself in a powerful and beautiful way."
— Elizabeth (5 out of 5 stars)
Make the Impossible Possible Listener Reviews
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" I wish more of Mr. Strickland's wittiness came out in this book; it was too essay-y. I'm still inspired and awed by what he's created and what he's achieved, but found much of his history and rise rehashed. I found the latter chapters resonated most with me. "
— Martha, 2/19/2014 -
" Inspirational...but not a road map. "If it is in you, it's in you." "
— Heather, 2/17/2014 -
" An inspiring story of one man's passion for clay and what it can do for at risk youth in Philadelphia. "
— Felicityn, 1/20/2014 -
" Very inspiring and a great story. "
— Andrea, 12/23/2013 -
" Inspiring tale of one MacArthur Fellow and his work. "
— Rachel, 12/22/2013 -
" Inspired by the manner in which Strickland has created an environment in which other people can succeed. Great lessons on valuing people and the link between encouraging creativity and achieving success. "
— Colleen, 12/15/2013 -
" Bill Strickland is a remarkable individual. His passion and poise, presence and perseverance ignite the imagination and inspire the soul. It's the content and context of his life that make him and this book a winner. "
— Jay, 11/27/2013 -
" I thought that this was a very inspiring book. I ended up using several quotes for my DECA blog. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who needs some motivation. Bill Strickland will be an interesting person to meet! :) "
— Jenn, 11/11/2013 -
" Simply inspiring. Bill Strickland's story is fascinating. "
— Jeffrey, 11/4/2013 -
" An inspring account of one man's desire to create places of inspiration in inner city Pittsburgh and combining those with arts, music, and job training centers to give people who are "poor" a passion in their lives and to give them skills and a meaning for their lives to get them out of "poverty." "
— Donald, 9/21/2013 -
" Great motivational read for teachers of anything and everything! "
— Cathy, 8/21/2013 -
" Full of inspirational advice. Looking forward to hearing him speak in April. I agree with other reviewers; it gets repetitive at times. "
— Jen, 4/21/2013 -
" will let you know as soon as I am finished "
— Sue, 12/16/2012 -
" Very amazing story! Sounds like a wonderful place. I would love to visit Manchester Bidwell in Philadelphia tho Summer. "
— Danielle, 4/24/2012 -
" The most inspiring book I have ever read! "
— Victoria, 4/4/2012 -
" It's a short read. I read it in one day, because I had to, not because I liked it. Most people would find this book really uplifting but I've said before, I'm not really into biographical books "
— Sophia, 2/28/2012 -
" Bill Strickland is an inspiration. Whatever he wanted to accomplish, he did. No matter the odds. "
— Kris, 2/7/2012 -
" Inspiring. Jazz. Follow your heart. Saw author speak... great story teller. "
— Kelley, 9/7/2011 -
" Inspiring tale of one MacArthur Fellow and his work. "
— Rachel, 5/19/2011 -
" An inspiring story of one man's passion for clay and what it can do for at risk youth in Philadelphia. "
— Felicityn, 5/7/2011 -
" Great motivational read for teachers of anything and everything! "
— Cathy, 8/15/2010 -
" Inspirational...but not a road map. "If it is in you, it's in you." "
— Heather, 3/7/2010 -
" Inspiring. Jazz. Follow your heart. Saw author speak... great story teller. "
— Kelley, 1/14/2009 -
" Inspired by the manner in which Strickland has created an environment in which other people can succeed. Great lessons on valuing people and the link between encouraging creativity and achieving success. "
— Colleen, 11/11/2008
About the Authors
Arthur Morey has won three AudioFile Magazine “Best Of” Awards, and his work has garnered numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and placed him as a finalist for two Audie Awards. He has acted in a number of productions, both off Broadway in New York and off Loop in Chicago. He graduated from Harvard and did graduate work at the University of Chicago. He has won awards for his fiction and drama, worked as an editor with several book publishers, and taught literature and writing at Northwestern University. His plays and songs have been produced in New York, Chicago, and Milan, where he has also performed.