Jeff Logue Ph. D.
William Penn, the founder of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, was well liked by the Indians. At one time, they told him he could have as much of their land as he could travel (walk or ride) in a single day. Early the next morning William started walking until late that evening. When he finally went to claim his land, the Indians were shocked! They didn’t think William would take them seriously. However, they kept their promise and gave him a large area of land which is now known as the city of Philadelphia. William Penn was a rare individual who simply believed what the Indians told him. Imagine what you could do if you actually believed you could accomplish your dreams.
Your beliefs can catapult you into the greatest accomplishments ever achieved or they can chain you to the cold, damp walls of mediocrity. The sobering truth in this statement is that you, and you alone, determine the trajectory of your life. You can soar among the stars or rot in the prison of self-doubt. If you’ve read this far, I believe you are ready for a prison break!
Here are four simple steps to steer your life in a totally different direction and nurture belief in yourself:
Change your BRAIN. Many enter adulthood with a fixed mindset. What this means is that you believe you have a fixed set of skills, abilities and talents. You feel that what you have right now is all you’re going to get and there’s nothing you can do to change that. There are others who progress in life with a growth mindset. This is the belief that with education, determination and hard work you can accomplish anything. They feel that if you are not born with a natural ability, so what, you can learn a new skill and set out towards your next adventure. Which category do you fit into?
Limit your limitations. All to often we limit our ability to do things before we have even taken ONE step towards it. Don’t assume you can’t do something until you have enough evidence to convince a jury of your peers. Most people look at something and decide in a few seconds that the job is too big, the mountain is too high, or the road is too long. Stop limiting yourself until you have actually tried it! Then, if and when you fail, GET UP and go for it again. You might need to adjust your game plan a bit but that’s okay. Sometimes, through failure you find success.
Visualize it. Get a mental picture of what you want to accomplish. Visualize your life a year from now after you’ve reached your goal. What are you doing differently? Who are you spending time with? How much money are you making? Are you living your dream? The best professional athletes visualize themselves sinking the three-pointer, clearing the goalposts, and knocking the ball over the upper deck. They see it, hear it, smell it, and feel it with all of their senses until it’s almost real. When you close your eyes what do you see yourself doing? Now that you can see it in your mind, look at it every day until it becomes a reality.
Create it. Whatever you believe – you will create. If you believe you’re small and insignificant in the world, you’ll create a small and insignificant world in which to live. If you believe you can accomplish anything then when obstacles stand in your way you will build a bridge and climb over. There are only two kinds of people in this world – those who do and those who think about doing. Which one are you going to be?
I would venture to say belief is most of the battle. Remember what Henry Ford said…
“If you believe you can or can’t, you are right.”