Harness The Power Of Self Belief – Believe You Can And You Will
Perhaps Henry Ford said it best when he said, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t – you are right.”
Your mindset can help you win or have you beaten before you even get started in the race.
The simple truth is though…nothing is impossible if we really put our minds to it.
Let’s be honest, the world isn’t short of blogs, books, social media posts and videos that will try to motivate you. Although the good intention is there, what you need ultimately is a deep rooted sense of self belief.
Applying Self Belief
Nothing is going to be more useful to you in acquiring the things you want out of life than belief, the belief in yourself and the belief in your goals. So many people are lacking in good old practical self belief its no wonder only around 10% of us truly achieve the heights of success during our lives.
It isn’t about hoping for the best then sitting back to wait for all the good things to happen. That isn’t a sensible strategy!
Instead you need to apply a different technique and look at life in a more practical way…
Thoughts In Your Head
Take a little time to go over the thoughts that are floating around in your head. They’re usually there in the back of the mind somewhere and you are generally so conditioned to these thoughts that you truly believe them.
Thoughts like…life isn`t fair, you’ll never be a success, you’ll never find love, or you’re not good at your job and you want one that you`ll enjoy.
When you allow these thoughts to permeate in your mind, you aren’t just giving them space, you’re helping give them credence.
You are fuelling their power which in turn holds you back. With a stronger self belief, you really can shape your reality and live your best life. Think about it…what is it that you believe?
Don’t think about what your friends think or what you hear on the news. Don’t worry about what your family’s opinions are or what your co-workers say, shut out the other voices and really ask yourself what is it you believe in about yourself?
When you begin to have belief in something, it tends to plant a seed in your head which will start to manifest if you focus hard on the belief. In general most of us observe life and are influenced in our beliefs from outside influences mainly from our family and friends.
Balancing Your Beliefs
Although it`s important to develop and establish our own self belief, we need to acknowledge balancing these beliefs too.
For example, when you look at life practically you know that you will never be able to fly like a bird. It really doesn’t matter how much you believe you can or how hard you try to believe it, this isn’t practical, its just not possible.
There is a part of practical belief which requires pragmatism, part of you has to keep it real. As much as you want to strengthen your self belief, its worth noting that it requires hard work. Unless you are prepared to take action, nothing in your life will change. Without action, there is no outcome!
Achieve Your Dreams
So I ask these questions again…do you believe that you can live the life that you want to live? Do you believe that you can achieve your dreams? It sounds simple to say yes immediately doesn`t it?
However, this is the crux of the issue and you first have to learn there is a big difference between saying you believe something and truly believing it.
Fear Begins In The Early Years
If you are having difficulty believing that you are capable and that anything is possible, it’s probably because fear is built-in from a young age.
While not everyone is affected in the same way by the typical indoctrination we hear during our childhoods, many of us are and this can set you up for a life of disappointment and frustration.
The seeds of self doubt and belief are instilled into us from an early age.
One of the big ones is the pressure that performing poorly in school will affect your ability to get into a decent college or university.
Subsequently, you will then struggle to find a decent job because your exam results aren`t good enough for any employer to be interested in you.
Rather dramatically, that thought continues to swirl around in your brain and subconscious mind, which ultimately leads you to constantly worry you’re going to die alone and homeless.
These thoughts pull the panic trigger and it isn’t long before you realise that you truly believe that it’s true.
Stepping Outside Of The Box
Any time you want to attempt stepping outside of the box, you will likely hear someone suggest you could end up penniless or without a home if you fail.
That is often enough to prevent most of us from taking the necessary steps to do what we want. We are all guilty of being guided by fear whilst trying to make the most important decisions in our life.
For example…do you hate your job? Yet, you set your alarm every morning and go to work as usual.
Why? You’re too afraid to look elsewhere or change your career because you have bills to pay and you feel safe where you are. Leaving your job would be too much of a risk and would prevent you from being able to meet your financial obligations.
Perhaps you are deeply unhappy in your relationship? Yet you are too terrified of being alone (or dying alone), so you just stay put and remain miserable in that relationship that isn’t fulfilling you.
Follow Your Dreams
Do you have a creative side that you never share with anybody because you’re too afraid people will laugh at you, or tell you that you are not good enough?
Just imagine how many more happier people there would be in the world if everyone began to follow their passions and dreams and lived life on their terms. Yet our brains tend to conjure up the worst case scenario for every situation and we put off things and the ideas we`ve always wanted to do. However, it’s often very rare that the worst case scenario actually becomes reality.
Think about something that you have really wanted to do for a long time and the reaction you got from people when you tell them. Would it be positive or negative? Probably the latter, because they wouldn`t take you seriously enough!
Imagine you wanted to write a book, or become an actor/actress to fulfil a lifelong dream? There does happen to be lots of writers in the world, there are also lots of people who have succeeded in TV and the film industry.
It won’t be an easy thing to do, but who is to say YOU can`t do it? If it’s what you want to do and you put your mind to it, you CAN achieve it!
Listening To Naysayers
Sadly though, many let people put us off by injecting fear and end the quest to chase our dreams. We shelve the dream and go back to our mundane jobs and tedious routines, whilst remaining in a state of perpetual unhappiness.
Usually towards the Autumn and Winter years of our lives, people do regret giving up on their big dreams, but by then it is all too late.
The problem is that we allowed those early thoughts and advice to derail us and keep us locked in a place of fear. What`s even more sad is that many people lose motivation and stop utilising the skills and talents they possess in order to live a life of mediocrity.
Living a life to their true potential has been denied them along with the opportunity of being truly happy.
Believe To Achieve
So, let’s go back to that dream you had, that goal you desired or just something that you wanted out of life. Why did you stop believing that you could get it? Fear?
Who hasn’t been in that position? The problem is if you don’t dispel it, then it will always be there and won`t go away. You need to really believe that you can live the life that you truly want.
Self-belief doesn’t need to be complicated, you can think of it as an instrument, a virtue, or a trait. There’s nothing new about the concept, though it might be new for you. Believe it now and before you know it your actions will start to become reality. If you can think it…then you can achieve it!
The most important aspect of your drive for success will be your ability to believe in yourself. Yes, it is easier to SAY it than to DO it.
Use Your Self Confidence
However, what will start to make your life more successful will be your ability to use your self confidence to an advantage. If you don’t believe in your abilities then you won’t succeed, even if you are incredibly talented.
Consider a difficult problem that you have faced and how your thinking played its own role in the process.
When you are convinced that you have the ability to solve the problem then you will.
It`s Written In The Stars
Perhaps one of the greatest recent examples is the writer J.K. Rowling, known for her Harry Potter books. She faced rejection after rejection, all while unemployed, raising a daughter alone and living on welfare.
Yet, she kept going and eventually Harry Potter took the world by storm. Along with enormous book sales it also became a movie franchise that turned her into a billionaire.
Even horror writer Stephen King went through adversity before becoming a famous Horror author, yet they both persisted. Writing is their gift, what is yours?
We all have one, it may not be as glamorous that will lead you to Hollywood, but is this passion something that will fulfill you and bring you joy and contentment? Of course!
Unshakeable Belief
You do have to understand and it is worth mentioning, that before you can succeed you first need to fail. This is inevitable and just part of the trials of life, there indeed may be many failures. To succeed you need an unshakeable belief in yourself.
If you don’t have that then you will likely fall at the first hurdle of failure and never get back up. It’s common for this first failure to put us off completely as we are well and truly out of our comfort zones and are not used to defeat or rejection.
It can cause you to lose your spark and choose to settle for less than you really deserve. However, as highlighted earlier, with courage, belief and the willingness to persist, you can achieve whatever you want.
Willpower
We mentioned how motivation is useless without belief. Well, belief isn’t enough unless you have willpower. It will help you maintain your focus as you walk your chosen path and prevent you from giving up at the first obstacle.
Self Discipline
There is a close link here between willpower and self discipline. Staying on track requires an abundance of this and without it…well need we say anymore? The most successful people have it in spades and they are capable of remaining focused and driven even when all seems lost.
Attitude
Your attitude is just as important to your ability to believe. Negativity can easily thwart your efforts and your mindset will either break you or it will make you.
So, choose positivity, it will allow your brain to seek creative solutions.
On the other hand, negativity will set you up for failure. Don`t choose the latter!
Doubt can be crippling and it is often the secret source of many of your failures. Rather than buying into those self doubting thoughts, you should instead replace them with positive affirmative thoughts that will help you stay the course.
Doubt is powerful, but belief is even more powerful and if you believe in yourself and your ability to do whatever it is you want to do, then what can really hold you back?
Confidence Fuels Self Belief
Increased confidence works wonders to fuel and ignite your inner belief. The more confident we become in situations around us, the better our ability to overcome challenges and adversity. We are less inclined to give up at the first hurdle and can inspire us to help turn our strong self belief into success.
The Role Of Self-Confidence
While some people are naturally confident, not all of us are blessed in that way. That doesn’t mean you can’t nurture your self-confidence though. Some people just have a knack for looking at life through a positive lens and they’re lucky. However, this is not true for most of us.
They can make their decisions without fear because they are of the belief that no matter what, they will succeed. It might be natural, it might be because they have been raised with that mentality or they discovered it later.
Regardless, it’s never too late. Therefore for the rest of us, confidence can be learned and you can develop it, just as you would any other skill.
We are all prone to feelings of doubt and negativity but fostering your self-confidence is worth the effort. One of the greatest ways to start developing your self-confidence is through your mindset, to achieve you first must believe. It’s one of those statements that may sound completely obvious, yet we look beyond it and miss it entirely.
Self Belief Equals Success
Have you ever looked around at friends or acquaintances that seem to have achieved everything they want, yet you haven’t been able to? It seems so far away for you, but they managed it and you just can’t understand why you haven’t been able to.
Success is obtainable and if you believe that then it will become a fact. You can think of it as a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy.
Don’t give up just because you haven’t been able to succeed yet, there’s still time, there is always time!
The reason your friends have been able to succeed is that they believed that it was possible and they went out and did it.
Think about it like this, if you are convinced that you are capable, the only reason that you would give up is because you have decided the reward at the end just isn’t worth the work that it will take.
Otherwise, it’s a process that you need to go through.
If you are in advertising for example and you want to walk away from it, why is that?
Is it because it wasn’t what you wanted in the first place or is it because your confidence is shaken and you aren’t sure whether you can succeed climbing the career ladder?
Change Your Mindset
If it’s a confidence issue then it’s time to make some changes to your mindset, or if it’s a case of it not being your dream then you will need to make an objective decision about continuing or changing your path.
This is something that must be done sooner rather than later as fear can be a major factor in preventing you believing in yourself.
Conquer Your Fears To Radiate Self Belief
Before your inner self belief can emerge from the depths of within, you will need to identify and conquer the fears that are holding you back. So be specific. We’re guilty of generalising our fears.
For example, someone who is afraid of swimming may not have explored his or her fear properly. It might be that stepping into the ocean is what they are afraid of as opposed to the swimming aspect.
Clarifying that fear would provide an insight that can assist in tackling the fear.
In other words if the ocean is the true fear, then the person can start swimming in the shallow end of a swimming pool or just dip their feet in the water to gain more confidence.
Offer Yourself Compassion
Something else that tends to hold us back is our inability to show ourselves compassion.
When we deal with a fear, it’s common to react impatiently or to levy criticism upon ourselves.
Yet, if someone else were afraid of something, you would probably show him or her some compassion. The question is…why can’t you do that for yourself?
For example, when you send your child off on the first day of school, they are more than likely experiencing trepidation.
You tell them they’ll have so much fun, that they’re going to meet new friends and learn interesting things. You go out of your way to allay their fears and send them off feeling encouraged and supported.
Just because you feel afraid doesn’t mean that you could allow it to dictate your actions. Offer yourself compassion and then face that fear head-on.
Are you ruled by fear? We can help you find out…
• You Always See The Downside – Every single decision that you make tends to have a downside along with an upside. However, if it is fear that drives you then you very likely only see the downside. If you always, or only ever see the downside to everything… fear is almost certainly driving you.
• You Over Think Everything – Yet you think nothing through. You’re so busy overthinking and over-analysing everything that you never truly think anything through. Instead, you react rashly and it’s these emotions that you allow to permeate your thoughts, instead of considering the facts and figures with a level head.
• You Avoid The Unknown – At one point the fear was just survival instinct, but it’s grown beyond that. Now it prevents you from even looking beyond your comfort zone. Even familiar situations that bring pain with them are seen as better than change or the unknown. Fear is paralysing you.
• In Fear’s Constriction, You Are Unable To Expand – Part of life is growing and if we give into fear it is difficult to expand our horizons. Rather than pushing past our boundaries, we are happy to avoid potential rejections or failures. It’s constricting you.
• Your Intuition Is Obscured – You hear people talk about listening to their gut when they make decisions, but where there is fear it’s difficult for that voice to get through to you. Fear muffles it and leaves you incapable of identifying what your instincts are telling you.
• You Avoid Decisions – if you don’t make your choices then its likely someone else will. Wouldn’t it make more sense to make the decision YOU want rather than letting life decide? If fear keeps you second-guessing your decisions then it’s time to deal with it as soon as possible.
It’s at the crux of many big moments and decisions, yet rather than protecting us, fear is usually holding us back. The scariest thing about fear is what it could be stopping?
Whether it’s a change of career, a move, a relationship, or just standing up for your values or beliefs. It literally can stop you dead in your tracks.
Failing Is Learning
We can agree that the basis of fear is generally built around failure and we are scared to fail because it doesn’t feel good. We have to come to realise that sometimes it`s good and quite natural to fail. We must also understand that part of failing is learning from your mistakes and moving forward.
So, when you experience a slip up do you try to cover it up or do you own your mistakes and move on? Do you try to pass blame onto other people or do you try to figure out where you went wrong?
Do you deny that you made a mistake or do you hold your hands up and bounce back? Failure is simply a starting point.
How To Believe In Yourself
Perhaps the problem is that the phrase has become so overused and that just hearing it makes you want to roll your eyes. You believed in yourself, but it didn’t work out.
Let’s look at how to truly believe in yourself and help set you up for success. We mentioned earlier that we often don’t take time to determine our own beliefs, instead we piggyback on things we’ve heard from others or the status-quo.
So what are your beliefs? Once you’ve determined what you believe, ask yourself where those beliefs came from?
Be Specific
Responding with a maybe or I’m not sure isn’t a belief, so start by choosing a belief that can be realistically achieved with focus and commitment, yet most people would baulk at the idea.
For example, regarding weight loss you set a goal of losing 15 pounds in 3 months.
You have created a belief. For anyone who is reading this and has failed to lose weight without having true self belief, you’re probably already saying this isn’t possible. As you might imagine, your self-talk needs some work.
Create The Belief
It won’t happen overnight but instil the belief into yourself day after day that you will lose that 15 pounds. When you learn how to create self belief you realise that it is such an important life skill to establish and it is up to you to hammer it home.
You may experience pushback from negative self-talk but just keep pursuing your new belief and you’ll find it surpassing the little voices in your head trying to trip you up.
It’s at this point that most people will give up, because it takes work to keep hammering at a nail when it’s refusing to slide into the wall. Nothing comes without work and something like weight loss is a gradual process. This can be difficult for a society that is looking for instant gratification.
Be Persistent
Take the necessary time to write out your new belief every single day. It really doesn’t matter whether it’s a weight loss goal you’re trying to achieve, a new career or whatever…you can form any belief just the same.
You can think of it as an affirmation, as that is essentially what it is. When you’ve written them down, keep them handy and spend time visualising your belief too.
Every day you should spend 5-10 minutes visualising yourself creating and achieving your successes. Associate with people who think and believe the same as you do or are interested in chasing the same dreams.
Shape Your Reality
Once you have done all this, you will naturally see the evidence of it in your environment. Your reality will be shaped by your beliefs.
When this starts to happen, you can make a note and write it in a journal. The benefit of this is it will help reinforce your belief that you will succeed in whatever it is you want to. It’s a bit like buying a new car that you never noticed on the road before and then suddenly seeing it everywhere once you’re driving it.
Once you start to truly believe, opportunities suddenly begin to appear, positive things start to happen and the desire for success increases dramatically.
Take Action
Now it’s time to put your newfound self-belief into action. You took time to enforce your belief, so unlike the people who dive in headfirst and quickly run out of steam before giving up…you can sustain your chase to achieve your goals.
Acknowledge Your Progress
When you make progress, acknowledge it. If you decided to lose 15 pounds, then you need to take the action necessary to make it happen. Once you lose the first pound, you should continue to believe the second, third and beyond will come if you just continue exercising your belief.
The final step of course is to continue following the steps mentioned above every time you need to instil self-belief in yourself. Before you can light a fire you need to gather the kindling and it takes work to get that fire lit and maintained.
It will grow that is for sure, as long as you feed it continually. It may start small, but as the fire grows you can start throwing bigger pieces of wood in it. At some point you will have a blazing fire on your hands and nothing can stop it. Nothing can stop you!
Never Be The Victim
We all have our own fears and doubts that we allow to get in the way of our success. However, when those fears hold you back from chasing what you truly want in life, there’s a problem.
Of course, when the most important parts of your life are impacted by your fears then the problem is even bigger.
The good thing is you don`t have to be a victim to this situation and the fears can be banished or certainly minimised when you develop the right attitude and mindset.
Overcome Your Fears
You can and will overcome your fears when you allow yourself to have real self belief and go after what you want in life.
Theodore Roosevelt, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning 26th American President said, “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”
He was right and that quote still stands true because self-belief is what will unlock the door to a full life. Without it, you will struggle to succeed.
If you don’t believe in you, why would anyone else? How can you inspire confidence in others when you can’t inspire it within yourself?
Final Thoughts
We are all made for something great, it’s up to us to find out what it is.
For some people it’s a lavish and grand goal, but for others it isn’t. Don’t let the goals of others put you off your own, or convince you otherwise to what you intend to get out of life. It’s your journey!
Belief is powerful and beliefs that have been created through fear are just as powerful as the positive ones. Just think of a negative belief that you have and look at how the same steps above were probably used to enforce it in your mind.
For example, some might say “my life is so unfair”, it’s a specific belief and it’s absolutely been hammered in so hard the nail is no longer visible.
They surrounded themselves with people who shared the same belief and looked for indicators in their environment that enforced it. They took negative action that would confirm their belief, engaged in self-sabotage and continuously acknowledged all of the bad that’s happened.
It’s a vicious cycle and it creates negative beliefs. Sadly, it’s far easier to wallow in this negativity than instilling the positive beliefs that you need to fuel your success.
The only way to replace those disempowering beliefs is to create new ones that will help you succeed. It isn’t going to happen overnight, but with the right attitude and perseverance, you can do it.
Use the steps above to determine the self belief that you need to succeed and work hard to reinforce its presence in your life.
Be Happy & Fruitful
You shouldn’t let anything stand in your way of chasing your dreams and achieving your goals.
You deserve to lead a happy and fruitful life and not allowing fear to stand in your way. Fear is an emotion we all possess but humans are problem solvers and can overcome anything if we so choose.
That means that YOU can overcome! When you do, you can look back on areas of your life where fear and self doubt paralysed you and realise how much better you are now for beating it with the incredible power of self belief.