You Better Believe It
When you believe the impossible is possible, there is no limit to what you can achieve.
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Belief.
Of all the essential elements necessary for us to achieve our goals, dreams, and aspirations, belief is (in my opinion) the most critical. While action, persistence, perseverance, and passion are important, without the quintessential element of belief, none of these other attributes matter. Belief MUST come first.
Why?
You cannot achieve what you do not believe.
In my book, Black Belt Leadership 101, I dedicate an entire chapter to the topic of Belief and open with this simple, but timeless truth.
You cannot achieve what you do not believe.
I have been fascinated with understanding Belief for many years. It plays an integral role in achieving success in life. Since everything begins with a thought, what we believe to be true or achievable will dictate the actions we take (or fail to take). A lack of Belief is at the heart of many of our failures to take action, to put ourselves out there, to venture into the unknown, or to try something new.
By definition, belief is an acceptance that a statement or fact is true, or that something exists. It is also trust, faith, or confidence in someone or something. Belief starts with believing in ourselves, that we have been put on this earth ON purpose, FOR a purpose, and that nothing will keep us from fulfilling that purpose.
Belief is an internal sense of confidence. It is an inner voice that is constantly telling us that we can do this, we can become this, or we can accomplish this. Belief drives the passion that compels us to take action, to venture outside what’s comfortable, and to pursue that elusive goal, dream, or objective.
In the immortal words of Gene Roddenberry, as spoken by Captain James T. Kirk, “To boldly go where no man has gone before.”
The field of neuroscience is constantly expanding, giving us more insight into the incredible computer that resides between our ears, and the incredible, latent power available to those who learn to tap into its reservoirs. Of particular interest is the study of the subconscious mind, that part of our brain that never sleeps.
The subconscious mind lies deep within what is often referred to as the primal brain. It is the part of our brain that controls all of our autonomic functions, such as respiration, circulation, and digestion. It is also the seat of our emotions and the home of our fight, flight, or flee response to danger.
Our beliefs reside within this part of our brain as well.
What we believe to be true finds its way into the innermost part of who we are. It defines us. More than that, it transforms our view of the world around us and how we respond. Our beliefs can open us up to limitless opportunities, but those same beliefs can also hold us back, retrain us, and deny us the opportunity even to make an effort to try. What we believe we can achieve. But when we worry and doubt, we end up doing without.
So, when it comes to anything we want in life, what’s required?
You better believe it.
One of my mentors, Christian Simpson, often says, “Your business, and the quality of life it affords you, cannot outperform the quality of thinking you bring to it. Therefore, develop the owner and not the business.” When we expand the quality of our thinking, we expand our understanding (and our belief) of what is possible.
How do we expand the quality of our thinking?
It starts with questioning what we believe, and why. It is asking the uncomfortable questions we are afraid to ask ourselves. Why? Because we already know the answer and we don’t want to admit it. We often know what needs to be done, but to this point have been unwilling, in whole or in part, to do what is required to improve the quality of our thinking and results.
Remember, nothing changes in your life until something changes.
As you think, you become. Once you stop thinking, you stop becoming.
Now take that one step further…
Once you start to expand your thinking, you begin to expand your becoming.
You better believe it.
Improving the quality of our thinking also comes from exposing ourselves to others who are already where we want to be so they can reveal to us how their thinking drives the results they are experiencing – and how we can do it, too. This is why I spend thousands of dollars each year to hire coaches and mentors who constantly challenge my thinking and believing as well as who and what I am becoming as a result.
In the classic novel, “The Magic of Believing”, author Claude Bristol introduced millions to the power of Belief. The concept Bristol teaches is simple. Create an image of what you want in life, hold that image unwaveringly in your mind, and your subconscious will work tirelessly to bring that image into its physical manifestation in the earth.
The religious world refers to this as Faith, an unwavering belief. In the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:20-21), Jesus said, “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move...” If faith the size of the smallest of seeds can move a mountain, what can we accomplish if we truly believe?
But how many times have we told ourselves NO because we didn’t believe something was possible, only to be proven wrong by others? You know what I’m talking about. It’s that great idea you had was monetized by somebody else, who believed they could while you made excuses, procrastinated, or kept waiting for “just the right moment.”
How many times have we shortcircuited our success in life by erecting a roadblock of disbelief that prohibited us from even trying?
How many times have we said NO to an opportunity simply because of a lack of belief in ourselves? Probably far more than we want to admit.
But, it doesn’t have to be that way.
As we expand the quality of our thinking through personal growth, we expose ourselves to the limitless beliefs of other successful people who understand that all things are possible to those who believe. Their belief in themselves can inspire and motivate us to improve the quality of our thinking, challenge our limiting beliefs, and remove the roadblocks that are holding us back from more success.
Leonardo da Vinci came into the world as a result of an affair his father had outside of marriage. As a result of the times in which he was born, Leonardo was deprived of many of the educational opportunities afforded to familial children. He spent his time studying nature, later sketching what he observed. His quest for learning and his zeal for exploration stretched his understanding of nature and science, along with his belief in what else could be learned and applied.
Leonardo was a man obsessed over what could be, and his belief in the impossible allowed him to envision a technologically advanced future. He envisioned the parachute, diving suit, armored tanks, self-propelled vehicles, and the double-hulled sailing vessel. Today, we take these things for granted, but it took a visionary who believed the impossible was impossible to pave the way.
Can you believe it?
Da Vinci did, and now the rest of the world believes it too.
Da Vinci was also a man of science, physics and biology in particular. He was a detailed student of human anatomy, enthralled by the human machine and how it operated. He made detailed drawings of human anatomy, and created the first conceptual model of the contact lens.
Leonardo also proposed the theory of plate tectonics to explain the physical world. He also visualized harnessing the sun’s power by collecting and concentrating its rays. He envisioned a world where solar power could be collected and used to power equipment, as well as concentrating the sun’s power as a weapon of war.
Can you believe it?
Da Vinci did, and now the rest of the world believes it too.
Believing that all things are possible to he who believes, Leonardo envisioned a day when man, like the birds, could fly. His early experiments in flight, and the sketches of helicopters and airplanes bore this out. Da Vinci envisioned a day when Man would take to the skies, and hundreds of years later, his belief also inspired two brothers who owned a bicycle shop to believe that man, like the birds, could fly.
On December 17, 1903, that belief became reality. For 12 seconds, over the sand dunes of Kitty Hawk NC, the Wright Brothers took flight and ushered in the world of aviation. Leonardo’s belief in human flight inspired the Wright Brothers to believe the impossible was indeed possible. Today, millions of people fly daily, all over the world.
Can you believe it?
Da Vinci did, the Wright Brothers did, and now the rest of the world believes it too.
The final chapter of “The Magic of Believing” is entitled, “Belief Makes Things Happen.” At the end of that chapter, author Claude Bristol makes a declarative statement:
“The entire course of a man’s life has many times been changed by a single thought…history is replete with stories of strong-minded, resolutely willed individuals who steadfastly hold to their inner convictions…have created from out of nothing great businesses. huge empires, and new worlds. They have no monopoly over thought-power (belief). You and every man and woman have it. All you have to do is use it. You will then become the person you envisage in your imagination…Belief will supply the power which will enable you to succeed in everything you undertake.”
Claude Bristol believed it. So did Leonardo Da Vinci, Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, Marie Curie, Henry Ford, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerburg, Elon Musk, Oprah Winfrey, Serena Williams, and countless other successful people throughout history.
You better believe it, too.
As you think, you believe. As you believe, you become.
What do you want to become?
What do you need to believe to become that person?
What limits are you placing on yourself, based on your beliefs, that are holding you back from saying, doing, and becoming more?