Master the power of belief

“A person cannot cling to anything unless she believes in it; belief always precedes action, therefore a person’s deeds and life are the fruits of her belief.” – Above Life’s Turmoil

While there has been some controversy surrounding Marion Jones, there’s no questioning that she’s one of the fastest women of all time. And Marion has spent her life BELIEVING she would one day become an Olympic Champion. At eight years old she wrote on a chalkboard in her bedroom: “I will be an Olympic champion.” When she was in the sixth grade she wrote the following note (you can see it at http://algonquin.com/marionjones/): “My plans for the future are to be in the 1992 Olympics.” Even though she missed her goal by eight years (she won at the 2000 Olympics), her life has become “the fruits of her belief.”

What can we learn from the belief of an eight-year-old girl?

Since belief always precedes action, simply changing your beliefs can change your actions to those that will result in living our wildest dreams — like being an Olympic Champion.

It’s not as complicated as you might think. In fact, taking these five steps can make anyone a “Gold Medalist” in their chosen endeavor.

1. Prepare to win. Nothing will strengthen your belief system more than knowing you’re prepared. Her training was the key to Marion’s belief that she could achieve her goal. Also in her sixth grade note she wrote, “I’ve been training a lot, and the boys at my school are good practice.”

2. Take control of your thoughts. It’s your choice what you think about. Think success and that’s what you get. Think failure and that’s what you attract. To help in controlling your thoughts, make it a habit to affirm yourself. I had a box of business cards with an old address that I was going to discard. Instead, I flipped them over to the blank side and wrote affirmations on them. I had two identical sets, one for my car and one for my office. Throughout the day I would read my “flash cards” aloud. (If you’re in your car, only read while you’re stopped for a traffic light. 🙂

3. Re-evaluate your situation. One of my mentors, Bob Proctor, teaches that “our belief system is based on our evaluation of something. Frequently when we re-evaluate a situation our belief about that situation will change.” And when you re-evaluate, spend more time looking at the positive side of your circumstances. In Why Some Positive Thinkers Get Positive Results, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale quotes “one of the wisest utterances I have ever heard in my lifetime:” “Never build a case against yourself.”

4. Don’t worry about “how-to-do-it.” One of my early mistakes was trying to figure out how I was going to do something before I’d believe I could do it. Start by believing you can do something and the “how-to” will follow. David Schwartz, author of the classic The Magic of Thinking Big, wrote, “Belief, strong belief, triggers the mind to figuring ways and means and how-to. Those who believe they can move mountains, do. Those who believe they can’t, cannot. Belief triggers the power to do.”

Interestingly, Dr. Schwartz wrote in 1959, “Currently, there is some talk of building a tunnel under the English Channel to connect England with the Continent. Whether this tunnel is ever built depends on whether responsible people believe it can be built.” Even though they had no idea of “how-to-do-it” at the time, enough “responsible people” maintained a belief in this project and we have the famous Chunnel today.

5. Finally, you must act. The New Testament writer said, “Faith without works is dead.” Until you act you’re not committed and belief is not cemented. As world-class mountain climber W.H. Murray wrote, “Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.”

I’ll leave you with some counsel from Dr. Maxwell Maltz, the author of another classic, Psycho-Cybernetics: “Within you right now is the power to do things you never dreamed possible. This power becomes available to you just as soon as you can change your beliefs.”

And that’s worth thinking about.

Get out of your comfort zone

While sitting in my office in deep thought, I was gazing out the sliding glass door to the deck and noticed a wasp that was trapped in the space between the glass door and the screen door. I have no idea how he found himself in that predicament, nor why he simply didn’t backtrack and exit the same way he entered. But after watching for quite some time I realized that without some help he’d probably perish in his self-made prison. So I carefully opened the glass door just enough where I could slide the screen door back by a foot or so, thinking this would give the wasp an easy escape route. But to no avail. The wasp continued to try to escape by flying at the screen mesh, bouncing back, and trying another spot on the mesh. He could see freedom, but he could not fathom how to get there.

There was no questioning his desire: his repeated bursts into the screen had to have given him a pretty good headache (if wasps get such things). It was interesting to note that several times he was within one inch of flying to freedom. But like many humans I know, he was within his comfort zone and not about to venture out. Finally, with some more “careful” assistance on my part, the wasp was finally able to fly away.

Albert Einstein said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. If your head’s been hitting the screen door (or the glass door) for quite some time now, perhaps it’s time to fly a different route. Your desired result may be a lot closer than you think, if you’re willing to venture to new territory.

Attitude is everything

Several years ago a long-time friend of mine shared with me the following quote on Attitude that has been attributed to Pastor and Author Chuck Swindoll:

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do.

It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company … a church … a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past … we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.

I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you — we are in charge of our Attitude.”

No one I have ever met…and no teacher, speaker or author that I know of…personifies that quote better than my friend Jeff Keller. If your attitude could use a tune-up, I know you’ll want to check this out….

The strangest secret

“As a man thinks, so is he; as he continues to think, so he remains.” – As A Man Thinketh

This is the cornerstone of James Allen’s philosophy and the great masters down through time have all agreed. Earl Nightingale called it “the strangest secret” and Napoleon Hill wrote in Think and Grow Rich that “riches begin with a state of mind.”

Looking deeper at James Allen’s quote, we realize that what we create through our thoughts is a belief system, and that belief system is ultimately what determines whether we live a successful life.

If our belief system says we’re fat because we were constantly told that as a child, or because over time we’ve developed that belief system, no amount of dieting or exercise will work to sustain permanent weight loss. Even though great discipline and sacrifice may shed some pounds, they’ll eventually be regained.

The same goes for any shortcoming. Just pick one. Procrastination, tardiness, lack of follow through, fear of failure; they’re all “qualities” that started in our thoughts, became entrenched in our belief system, and now are obstacles to building a better life.

Obviously the key to changing our belief system is changing our thoughts. Orison Swett Marden wrote in How to Get What You Want, “Stop thinking trouble if you want to attract its opposite; stop thinking poverty if you wish to attract plenty. Refuse to have anything to do with the things you fear, the things you do not want.”

Instead we must think rightly about those things we want to attract. My friend, Mark Shearon, once posed a very enlightening question to a telephone audience, “Are you thinking about what you’re thinking about?” Read that sentence again and read it carefully. It’s not a play on words.

Marden goes on to write this passage about how much our thoughts influence the outcome of our life: “How often do we hear it said of some man, “Everything he undertakes succeeds,” or “Everything he touches turns to gold?” Why? Because the man is constantly picturing to himself the success of his undertakings and he is backing up his vision by his efforts. By clinging to his vision, by vigorous resolution and persistent, determined endeavor he is continually making himself a powerful magnet to draw his own to him. Consciously or unconsciously, he is using the divine intelligence or force by the use of which every human being may mold himself and his environment according to the pattern in his mind.”

And that’s worth thinking about.

Missive to a Mother

My friend Kyle Wilson, who is President of Jim Rohn International, wrote this several years ago for his mother’s 80th birthday. As we prepare to celebrate Mother’s Day, I think it’s a great testimonial to mothers worldwide.

“In honor of Mother’s Day I would like to share with you a letter that I wrote and read to my mother at her 80th birthday celebration (two summers ago). It speaks both of the legacy she has been able to create and provide her family and community as well as the impact her legacy has had on my life and my family.

A Letter to My Mom on Her 80th Birthday

Obviously I could talk today about many different areas that my mom has excelled in over the years and made a positive difference in other people’s lives. Whether it’s been her ministry, her catering business, her creative touch or her friendships, all of which she has exemplified the principle of being faithful over what you have and letting God then promote you. It seems that consistently her gift has always made room for itself and propelled her into a big place.

But more important to me than any of that, is the legacy she has been able to leave me and my family. Almost on a daily basis I’m reminded of how blessed I am and have been. I have a wonderful wife and two wonderful kids. We are all healthy and blessed. I have really never known tragedy in my life. I live in America and am blessed by all the freedom and richness that it represents. I drive on roads I didn’t build, have daily conveniences I never invented and enjoy freedoms I was never asked to fight for. And as incredible as that is to me, equally as important, I was given an upbringing by my parents that has made me very blessed indeed.

First and foremost I was given the gift of faith. I was raised in a house and environment where my parents in both word and deed made sure God was first in our home. I always had an example of my mom giving her time to the church and love towards its people – from the perceived least to the greatest, she always was an example of giving to her faith.

I was given the gift of respecting other people. I don’t recall my parents ever exemplifying or showing prejudice towards others. I know they grew up in a different generation where prejudice was more common, but that was not anything I ever saw.

I was given the gift of a strong work ethic. Laziness was never part of the scenery in my childhood. My mom worked two jobs – her day job at the bank and her night and weekend job – raising 4 kids. Only a parent with kids can fully appreciate the sacrifice and persistence that that required.

I was given the gift of persistence and ingenuity. My mom has always found a way to just get it done, and usually her in way and with her style. She’s never been a clone. Her persistence, creativeness and ingenuity have always been a great example to me of life’s infinite possibilities.

And I was given the gift of love. I’ve met people who have not felt loved by God or loveable by man. I can honestly say that I have always known I’m loved by God and have never once doubted my parents’ love for me. Our home was a safe environment to be who you are and to be accepted as you are.

Mother, beyond just my love and appreciation for you, I want to thank you again today, on your 80th birthday for your gifts and legacy to me.

Your son,
Kyle
7/12/03

Kyle Wilson is co-founder and President of Jim Rohn International. Kyle has promoted hundreds of seminar events over the past 14 years and has worked with many of the world’s top speakers and authors including Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy, Denis Waitley, Mark Victor Hansen, Og Mandino, Les Brown and Harvey MacKay.

Motivation and inspiration to maximize your personal growth from motivational speaker and author Vic Johnson.