Saying the sky's the limit is no longer correct

Hundreds of years ago, the sky was the limit. The expression was said long ago before Orville and Wilbur Wright invented the first airplane.

The brothers were two American aviators who were credited with inventing and flying the world's first successful airplane. They made their initial flight on their aircraft on December 17, 1903, four miles south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

People were excited about the progress, and they began saying the sky was the limit because it really was at that time. It was only as far as people could look up and see. However, after 122 years, the sky is no longer the limit.

So much has happened since the Wright Brothers' maiden flight long ago. Jets, helicopters, and airplanes of every kind have been in the sky since then. With the invention of spaceships, rockets, and technology, astronauts have proven that the sky is no longer the limit. They have gone to outer space, which is far beyond the sky. That's why saying the sky's the limit is no longer accurate.

Many Americans and astronauts from other countries have been to the moon. That's proof that the sky's no longer the limit. Men and women have gone beyond the sky and landed on the moon many times.

People Have Gone to Outer Space

It has not been unusual for astronauts to go to outer space. In recent years, civilians have been on trips to outer space.

Several celebrities have ventured into space, participating in historic flights that mark a new era of space tourism.

• Richard Branson went to space on his Virgin Galactic in July 2021.
• Jeff Bezos, the founder of Blue Origin flew to space in July 2021 alongside his brother Mark Bezos and aviation pioneer Wally Funk.
• William Shatner was the oldest person to travel to space at age 90 on Blue Origin's New Shepard on October 13, 2021.
• Michael Strahan, a news anchor on "Good Morning America," flew to space on Blue Origin in December 2021.
• Coby Cotton, YouTuber and co-founder of Dude Perfect, flew to space in August 2024.
• Emily Calandrelli, known as "The Space Gal," became the 100th woman to go to space on a Blue Origin flight in November 2024.
• The all-female crew of the NS-31 mission, which included Katy Perry, Gayle King, Aisha Bowe, Kerianne Flynn, Amanda Nguyen, and Lauren Sánchez, participated in an all-female space flight with Blue Origin in April 2025.

You cannot tell those people that the sky's the limit because they have gone far beyond it.

As of 2025, a total of 682 people have reached space, according to the FAI definition.

Plans are being made to send more people to go far beyond the sky to see things for themselves. They will be able to attest that the sky is no longer the limit as it once was.

What Should We Say Instead

When people believe the sky's the limit, they predict how far they can go and how much they can do successfully. They put limitations on themselves by saying and believing the sky's the limit. Therefore, they block their progress and cannot go any further.

If we do not say the sky's the limit, then we are open to possibilities beyond our imagination and wildest dreams. When we say, “The sky’s the limit,” that's as far as we will ever go.

So, what should we say instead of saying, “The sky’s the limit” since it is an outdated expression? For starters, we can realize that there is so much beyond the sky, and we can refrain from saying, "the sky's the limit" because it is not. Scott and Mark Kelly, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, John Glenn, Sally Ride, Mae Jemison, and many others have proven to us that there is much more beyond the sky.

Therefore, it is safe to say, "My limit is beyond the sky."

The Bottom Line

"The sky's the limit" was appropriate before man knew how to reach the sky. Now that men and women have reached the sky and gone beyond the sky, it is time for people to stop limiting themselves by repeating an outdated expression. Unfortunately, that expression is stuck in people's minds, and they live their lives believing there are limitations to what they can and cannot do.

If this article makes sense to you, perhaps it is time to find something else to say that is really true. If you can think of something more appropriate to say, please feel free to post it in the comments section below.