Everything Feels Impossible Until It’s Done.
By Vincent Van den Broeck.
What happens after surviving something you were never expected to survive?
Everything Feels Impossible Until It’s Done tells Vincent Van den Broeck’s story of surviving a devastating accident on the 11th of October 2024, despite being given just a 1% chance of survival, and the enormous journey that followed.
The author takes us beyond the accident itself, looking back at the person he was beforehand and the decisions, sacrifices and habits that had already shaped his life. I found this particularly interesting because it changes the focus from one extraordinary moment of survival to all the seemingly insignificant moments that came before it.
The sections surrounding the accident, coma and subsequent brain surgery are inevitably difficult, but survival is really only the beginning of the story. Waking up doesn't suddenly mean everything is fine. There is an entire life to rebuild, including the exhausting process of learning how to walk again and reclaiming abilities that were previously completely ordinary.
I appreciated the honesty surrounding recovery in particular. Progress isn't presented as one miraculous transformation but as something constructed gradually through repetition, determination and countless small achievements. Things most of us perform without thinking suddenly become enormous milestones.
There's also an interesting question running throughout about how much of our ability to cope with a crisis is developed long before we know we're going to need it. The author connects his recovery with the discipline and habits established before his accident, encouraging readers to think about how the lives we're building today might support us during circumstances we could never predict.
At the same time, this isn't solely focused on individual determination. There is recognition of the people involved in getting someone through an experience like this, and I liked the acknowledgement that recovery can be deeply personal while still involving an enormous network of support.
The later sections naturally become more reflective as the author considers what surviving has changed about his understanding of purpose, responsibility and the way he wants to live. Rather than simply returning to his old life, recovery becomes an opportunity to reconsider what that life should look like.
Publishing the book on the 11th of October 2026, exactly two years after the accident, gives the story another layer of significance. A date associated with almost losing everything becomes the date on which the author is able to share what came afterwards.
Everything Feels Impossible Until It’s Done is ultimately less about achieving the impossible in one extraordinary moment and more about the hundreds of ordinary decisions involved in getting there. It's a personal account of survival, but also a reminder of just how quickly life can change and how much strength can be discovered when continuing forwards is the only option.
Thank you to Literally PR for running this book-tour. The book is out now and available to purchase.
