Julius Caesar Slept Here

From London to Istanbul, I visit Roman ruins, many over 2000 years old. That’s the time of Julius Caesar and the days of the Republic and the Empire. Caesar went everywhere. Some day I expect to find a sign that says, “Julius Caesar slept here”.

In 55 BC, the Rhine River was a natural boundary between the Romans and the Germanic tribes. Everybody knew that if you wanted to cross the Rhine you had to have many boats. It was safe to assume that no one would cross the Rhine in force and that preserved the status quo.

In 55 BC, Caesar decided to cross the Rhine. He called his engineers to build a bridge. They built the bridge in 10 days. Caesar marched his legions across, scared the Germanic tribes, returned to his side of the river and destroyed the bridge. The status quo was no longer. What intrigues me in this story is the Roman Engineers.

They were responsible for building the ruins that I visit. The engineers were people from all over the empire, not just Romans. They brought their knowledge, experience, and ideas to the ranks of the engineers. They built fortresses, palaces, aqua ducts, sewage systems, and of course - roads. Their roads connected the empire throughout Europe, the Mediterranean, and the British Isles. The roads were an ancient internet, connecting people without a computer.

When the engineers built, natural boundaries fell to their ingenuity. What seemed impossible, like a bridge across the Rhine, became possible for the engineers. This ingenuity came from their openness to diverse ideas and a “can do” mindset. This was a mindset that asked, “How will we do this?” instead of saying, “We can’t” or “It’s impossible”.

Do you remember the four-minute mile, the sound barrier and the landing on the moon? All boundaries thought to be impossible to cross! It’s only impossible until some one does it. I see this in business today. When faced with difficult situations some still say, “It’s impossible”; “It can’t be done”; “We tried that and it didn’t work”; “We don’t have the resources”; or “That will never happen”.

Our response to a boundary or an impossible situation sets us on a path to maintaining or overcoming the status quo. Our mindset is the greatest natural boundary to doing the impossible. When I suggest shifting our mindset, I get responses like these… “It’s easier said than done, Charlie. And I may change my mindset, but what about those around me? What if they don’t change? What if…”

We speculate about all the obstacles. We close the door to possibilities. Suppose the Roman Engineers did that with Caesar. “You know, Caesar, it’s never been done before. I think we can do it but I’m not sure the others are willing to try. We don’t have the tools for this. What if the tribes attack us while we’re working? What if…”

Our words create some of the boundaries. Our words matter. Our words open or close the door to succeeding. If we want to become over comers, we need to change the words we use. Remember the scene in Apollo 13 when the engineers had to make a filter for the carbon dioxide? The engineer comes in and says, “We have to find a way to make this (a square filter) fit into the hole for this (the round filter) using nothing but that (what’s available on Apollo 13).”

“We have to find a way…” opens the door to possibilities. When next confronted with an impossible situation, think first about making a statement or asking a question that opens door to possibilities. Say, “I have to find a way” or ask, “How can I do this?” instead of focusing on the obstacles.

There is never enough time, resources, money, or energy to accomplish the impossible. All you’ll ever have is a mindset that sees the possibilities for overcoming. Use your words to open the door to new possibilities.

From an ancient Roman ruin, somewhere in Europe

Charlie