What Do You Believe? Your Beliefs Can Define Your Success
The act of believing is a very interesting thing. According to one definition, believe
means, “to accept as true”. One definition of the word belief is, “Something held to be true or actual”. Neither of these definitions states that what is believed or what is held as a belief has to be true or factual. It just has to be accepted as true.
There’s no requirement of proof. There’s no requirement for substantiation. All you have to do is believe.
I’m sure you’ve all heard the quote, “Whether you believe you can or you believe you can’t, your right.” This just means that whatever you believe, regardless of whether or not it’s true in fact, is true for you. This is a testimony to the power of beliefs and believing.
What you choose to believe can have a very strong positive affect on your success or a very strong negative affect. It’s up to you.
We all start creating our belief systems at a very young age. A lot of it has to do with what people tell us on a regular basis. We can hear good things like, “You’re a good kid”, “You can do it”, “I’ve got confidence in you”, and “Great job”. Or, we can hear bad things like “You’ll never amount to anything”, “You can’t do that”, and “You’re no good at that”.
If we consider the source of the information we receive as valid, then we begin to believe the information to be true – regardless of whether it is actually true or not.
The result is a world full of different groups of people relative to beliefs.
- There are those who believe strongly in things that aren’t really true – good and bad.
- There are those who believe in things because they want them to be true – even though they may not be.
- There are those who believe in things because it’s easier to believe than it is to determine whether or not what they have chosen to believe is actually true.
So, the important question is, “What do you believe?” Do your beliefs move you closer to your goals or do they prevent you from achieving them?
Since my thing in life and the purpose of feedthegoodwolf.com is helping people achieve their versions of success for their lives, I know how important the correct set of beliefs is in that process.
From the point of view of having a good belief system, here are a few things that I believe to be true that have a huge positive affect on achieving business and personal success. I hope you’ll consider adding them to your belief system.
- We are all born with a gift, a skill or a talent, which we can express at genius levels. I’ve read some studies that claim this to be true. Beyond that, I see evidence of this on a regular basis. We are all naturally excellent at something. We do our special something easily and effectively. Many of us express our gift as a hobby and don’t think anything of it. Unfortunately, too many people never fully express their gifts because they’ve been told in one way or another that they aren’t worth much and will never amount to much. The good news is that these negative beliefs can be changed.
- We are all worthwhile human beings and can be just as successful as the next person. Many people are repeatedly told by multiple sources that they don’t deserve to make it and never will. Again, the good news is that negative beliefs can be changed.
- We’re not in this alone. There are many people and organizations that exist to help others achieve their goals and dreams. They’re easy to find them. You just have to ask. When you find them you need to carefully choose the right ones to help you. Plus, we all have the power of the universe going for us. The law of attraction and the law of reciprocity have been around for centuries. There is plenty of literature on these subjects, if you’re interested. The simple proof to me is that being grateful, having a focus on helping others, and having a positive attitude produce amazing results.
- There is more than enough abundance and opportunity to go around. There are folks out there that think it’s useless to try because there is only so much to go around. Not true. I don’t remember the exact timing, but the US Patent Office was considering closing down in the early 1900s because they thought there was nothing more that could be invented. There is abundance and opportunity out there with your name on them. Doing the right work in the right way will bring them to you.
So, I’ll ask again. What do you believe?
We’re about to start a brand new year. This is the time when most people have a list of things they want to accomplish. Believing they can be accomplished is the first step. Not just lip service. Not just wishing. It starts with a strong belief.
I don’t buy into the theory that all you have to do is “Believe”. Believing is the start and it keeps you going. But, all positive results require some effort in addition to belief.
While you’re taking a look at what you want to accomplish in the coming year, examine your beliefs. If you have some that are negative or your not sure of, decide whether or not you want to keep them or change them. If you want to make changes, get started, stay consistent and good things will happen.
(c) 2007 Brian Silverthorn
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brian Silverthorn is a business growth specialist and success coach. He helps people build successful businesses and build successful careers. To learn more please visit www.feedthegoodwolf.com and www.forbusinesssuccess.com.
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