“I didn’t want to conquer the world, just its most beautiful stages.”
This was the first of many notable quotes from Philippe Petit in the new documentary Man on Wire which chronicles his tight rope walk between the world trade center towers. Phillipe’s story has broad application for anyone looking to accomplish ambitious plans. For instance, in the face of detractors cutting him down for wanting to do something so ludicrous and so risky, he responded “it’s impossible for sure, so let’s start working”. And, upon completing his walk, being unable to understand the people asking him “why” to which he thought “there is no why”.
To Philippe there was no why, there was no impossible and there was no stopping him until he completed what he set out to do. As I reflected on that message the remainder of my flight yesterday, I began to see my personal “stages” and “wires” in a whole new light.
