We all have our own beliefs about ourselves and what is and isn’t possible. And it’s those believes that underpin the results that we get in life. As Henry Ford said, “If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.”
Well, take a look at what you believe about yourself. Do you believe that you can’t have the life you want because …
- you are too old,
- too young,
- not smart enough,
- not from the right background,
- aren’t intelligent enough,
- that life is “just the way it is”?
Well, you are right.
Then on the other hand, do you believe that you can have life that you want because…
- age has nothing to do with it,
- you are intelligent,
- your background has no bearing on your choices you make now,
- you don’t accept the status quo?
And again, you are right.
We all have our own beliefs about ourselves and what is and isn’t possible. The thing is, we’ve held these beliefs for so long that we don’t even recognise them as beliefs – as things that we can actively change, but just accept them without question. And to be honest, we are often not even conscious about the beliefs that are driving our day to day thoughts and actions.
Our beliefs create our thoughts about ourselves, about others and about life. These thoughts determine our actions. Our actions produce results. And then our results confirm our beliefs.
When was the last time you sat down and really had a good look at how you see your life? Are you living the life you want?
Try a little exercise in reverse engineering.
- What results are you living? Are you happy with those or not?
- How did your actions contribute to getting those results?
- What thoughts caused you to take those actions?
- What was the underlying belief behind those thoughts?
Then challenge that belief – Is it a fact? Is it something that is 100% true? There is no evidence elsewhere to the contrary?
If you say something like “It may not be 100% true for others, but it is for me…”, then that is proof that it is simply a belief. It is not a fact. And you are allowing that belief to drive your thoughts, your actions and, in the end, to create the results you are experiencing right now.
Remember, if you think you can do a thing, or you think you can’t do a thing. You are right.
