There are some distinctions that over time, seem to lose their impact. Possibility is one of those distinctions. As some of you know, I've been performing magic as a hobby for the past 30 years. I have incorporated some magic in our leadership programs and typically when I perform a 'trick' the response right after the 'aha' moment is "how'd you do that?' Some people are in silent wonderment, trying to figure it out, and then relinquish to asking how.

With the pace of business today, people are often too busy to really engage in conversations that explore possibilities. I often find myself listening to people brainstorming new ideas, figuring out solutions to problems, exploring ways to improve results, but often those conversations fall short of what possibilities are all about. There is more of a concern to quickly resolve the issue or get the answer in order to move on to what's next.

Possibility is about going beyond what is predictable and probable. Like figuring out a magic trick, people approach possibilities by first exploring what they already know. But real possibilities exist beyond what is known. People have also become accustomed to looking at options instead of possibilities. Options have the characteristic of being finite and limiting. People typically evaluate a number of options and then decide. If you examine the word 'decide' (another distinction) it has the same root ('cide') as homicide, suicide, genocide, pesticide, etc. It means to 'kill off'. What you are really doing is evaluating your options and killing them until one remains. That's not possibility.

Often, possibilities are filtered through judgment, assessment, evaluation, past experience and opinions. These filters limit you even further. On top of that, people have a general concern for 'looking good', even more so at work. This hinders people from getting out on the skinny branches to generate ideas that challenge the status quo, conventional wisdom and the tried-and-true.

The same is true in our own personal lives. We have a very narrow view of what's possible for our future. People are often stopped by their circumstances. Mostly because it's the circumstances that have determined how our lives go. We have self-defeating perceptions and habits about what we can and can not do. We usually look to our past, rely on what we already know, and look at current circumstances before moving forward. It's very difficult driving your life into the future, when you're looking at the rear view mirror.

Possibilities occur when there is a safe environment that encourages risk, innovation, adventure and fun. Possibilities emerge when people know that they can fully express themselves, take their blinders off and step into the unknown. When people have unfiltered views and ideas, when people are conscious of the illusions that get in their way, the magic of possibilities can be possible.