Believing in yourself
You weren't an accident. You weren't mass-produced. You aren't an assembly-line product. You were deliberately planned, specifically gifted, and lovingly positioned on the Earth by the Master Craftman.
Have you ever gotten into a mess, so deep that you wished you were never born? How about looking at that neighbor across the street, and wished that you're living his life? I believe each of us have, at least once, felt that way.
I took that quote from Jack Canfield's "The Success Principles". It was used as the opening quote for Principle 5, Believe in Yourself. The word "believe" is derived from a combination of "be" and "leubh"- "to like , desire" (source:http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=believe). Therefore, to believe in one's self, one has to love and appreciate his/herself. By loving his/her own self, I don't mean by being a narcissist, but rather, to explore and appreciate his/her own ability and potential, and to use them to its full capacity.
To believe in oneself is purely a choice. You can choose to either to believe in your abilities, that nothing can't be done, or to believe in the limiting beliefs and negative conditionings of people around you. It is an attitude that you develop over time. While having supportive environment do help, but majority of us have normal parents who were brought up with normal perception of life and many limiting and negative conditionings. Therefore a strong discipline is required, as well as a stubborn will.
Now, what we choose to believe is entirely up to ourselves as well. We can choose to believe that we are the best journalist available in our country. We can believe that we have the best children any parents could ever wish for. And ask yourself, "do I love the idea of being or having that?". If you do, then put in efforts to make yourself deserving of those beliefs. In page 41 of "The Success Principles", Jack Canfield retold his interview with Stephen J. Cannell. He was dyslexic, failed 3 grades when he was younger, but through believing that he can, he became a best-selling author and television producer. Of course, there are time and efforts invested for him to get to where he is now, in the beginning, the belief in himself was the core that got him there.
To start off, we have to give up excuses that limit us from getting where we want to be. The phrase I can't, according to Paul R. Scheele, is the most powerful force of negation in the human mind. Our brain responds to negative statements AND positive statements. When you think about positive thoughts, your brain processes that thought, sends electrical impulses throughout your body, and empowers you; making you stronger, feel healthier and more energized, and helps you think clearer. The words you say and think affects your mind AND body.
Many people discovered the truth and power of believing in yourself later in their life. In 1977, in Tallahassee, FL, Laura Shultz picked up the back end of a Buick to get it off her grandson's arm. She was 63 at the time and could not recall ever lifting anything heavier than a 50-pound bag of dog food. Initially, she resisted talking about 'the event.' Why do you suppose she didn't want to talk about it?
Here's her response in an interview with Dr. Charles Garfield -- 'If I was able to do this when I didn't think I could, what does that say about the rest of my life? Have I wasted it?'
What about you? What have you not done because you didn't believe it was possible? Are you like the unfortunate majority who would rather stay in comfortable misery than to do the work to launch into a dramatically higher level of success. 80-90% of our behavior is habit and repeating our familiar behavior is more comfortable than attempting a really big goal.
What is a big goal you could set for yourself - one that would dramatically change where you are? Why would you want to do that? Is there a purpose that goes beyond your own needs and desires? Because when you have a clear enough 'why' you will figure out the 'how.' Trust me: You don't need degrees, training and a seminar on how to lift a car if your child is trapped underneath one.
At 63, Laura Shultz decided to go back to school to study geology. She eventually got her degree and went on to teach at a local community college.
What is a goal you would like to accomplish in the next three years? Why do you want that to happen? What are you doing now to make it happen? Don't wait until you're 63 to discover your true abilities. Story taken from Dan Miller's 48-ay Coaching
Last but not least, here's a food for your thought: Always be yourself because the people that mind don't matter and the people that matter don't mind. Dr. Daniel Amen stated in his 18/40/60 Rule: When you're 18, you worry about what everybody is thinking of you; when you're 40, you don't give a darn what anybody thinks of you; when you're 60, you realize nobody's been thinking about you at all. So don't waste your time thinking about what others think about you. Instead, think about how you can improve yourself, and do the things that can help you achieve your goals.
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