A few months ago, I was interviewed by a popular business magazine. In between the questions about making money and what it takes to push through the dark times, I was asked one particular question that made me stop and think.
“If you could go back and give one piece of advice to yourself at 20 years old, what would that be?” the interviewer asked me.
The thoughts that went through my head immediately were some combination of: “I don’t know. Just work harder than everybody else” or “Don’t believe all the idiots telling you to do it their way.”
But then it hit me. It’s something that has been brewing in the back of my mind for some time now.
“Believe,” I said. “Believe in yourself. Believe in your ideas. Believe that you have enough strength to keep moving forward.”
Believe that you’ll figure it out.
Over the years I had a spent a lot of time trying to convince everyone else that I was up to something awesome instead of just doing that something awesome.
It took me time to figure out how to believe in myself.
To believe in my ability to perform even though no one else had been able to do it thus far. To believe in my tenacity to keep trying long after it gets fun, funny, or comfortable.
To believe in my courage to place all my financial resources and physical ability on the line in pursuit of my dream.
Belief is a powerful force.
It can make you a terrorist, on a mission of hate and fear, or it can compel you to give up the niceties of life in pursuit of selfless missionary work, where your only reward is the love and inspiration of those you work for.
What you believe, you can achieve.
If you don’t believe that you deserve to lose weight, you won’t.
If you don’t believe that you deserve to make more money, you won’t.
If you don’t believe that you deserve to find happiness, you won’t. If you don’t believe that you deserve to get what you want, you won’t ever get it, find it, keep it, gain it, or win it.
What do you believe? Do you know?
Your beliefs control everything about your activity and attitude.
Nothing you do will ever outperform the quality of your beliefs.
If you believe that you’re a loser and always will be a loser, you’re going to stay stuck being a loser. Not because of genetics or education, location, friendships, or anything else other than the beliefs that control every conscious and subconscious part of your being.
If you believe that you have the capacity to achieve your goals. If you believe that it’s only a matter of time until your hard work and tenacity yield the results that you so desperately crave.
If you believe that you’re worthy of better things.
Then success is inevitable.
Breakthrough is a foregone conclusion. You’re not going to stay stuck for long.
You’ve got what it takes. Now it’s just a matter of time and circumstance.
Maybe you haven’t examined your beliefs in a while. You aren’t actually sure what you think about you.
You’re a little rattled by how life has beaten you up recently. You’re not sure where to go or what to do and how to respond if you ever get close.
Take action. Start with a quiet moment of reflection where you rekindle the flames of your belief.
Your belief in you. Your belief that your effort matters. Your belief that the consequences of your actions lead to the results you so desperately want for yourself.
Impossible is a belief. So is possible.
It all comes down to what you believe.
As I stepped away from that interview, the thought that went through my head was simply: “How much time have I spent since 20 not believing? And what do I need to do right now so that the fire of my belief never goes out?”
Your answer to that question for you is the most important thing you need to start working on today.
The post What Would You Do If You Believed You Could? appeared first on Dan Waldschmidt: Author of EDGY Conversations.
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