The Power of Belief

15 April, 2021

Believe you can and you’re halfway there. (Theodore Roosevelt)

‘The Eagle has landed,’ said Neil Armstrong. President Nixon, watching the events on television, described it as ‘one of the greatest moments of our time’. The Pope greeted the news by exclaiming, ‘Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to men of good will!’ At 3:56 am on 20 July 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped off the ladder from the Eagle and on to the moon’s surface. ‘That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind,’ he said, as he became the first man to walk on the moon. Due to the recent invention of television, this remarkable event was the first of such historic significance to be seen so widely and known so immediately. The whole world watched with awe and amazement. They believed they could put a man on the moon and they did.

Until Roger Bannister came on the scene in 1954, some experts said it was physically impossible to break the four-minute mile. The thinking was, if it hasn’t been done before, it’s because it can’t be done. But Bannister not only did it, he started a new trend. History continues to prove that records are made to be broken.

One of the main weaknesses of humankind is the average person’s familiarity with the word ‘impossible’. We know all the rules which will not work. We know all the things which cannot be done. Success comes to those who become success-conscious. Failure comes to those who indifferently allow themselves to become failure-conscious. You become what you believe. Whatever you attach consistently to the words ‘ I am,’ you’ll become. Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail.

Have you ever seen trained fleas in a jar? You don’t need a lid to keep them in. That’s because when the trainer first places them in the jar, he puts the lid on it, and the fleas jump up and down frantically hitting their heads against it. Finally, after a lot of headaches, they stop jumping and settle in to enjoy their newfound comfort. Now when the lid is removed the fleas are held captive by a mindset that says, ‘ So high and no higher.’ What a picture!

If you want to become the person you have the potential to be, you must believe you can! It is hard to feel bad about yourself when you’re adding value to others. We tend to get in life what we are willing to tolerate, if we allow others to disrespect us, we get disrespected; if we tolerate abuse we get abused.

No factor is more important in people’s psychological development and motivation than the value judgements they make about themselves. Every aspect of my life is impacted by the way I see myself. A person who believes they are worthless won’t add value to themselves. You cannot outperform your self-image. People are never able to outperform their self-image. The value we place on ourselves is usually the value others place on us. If you place a small value on yourself, don’t expect someone else to put a higher value on you; rest assured nobody will raise the price.

The easiest thing to be is you! The most difficult thing to be is what someone else wants you to be. Be the best of yourself!

 

Author: Yomi is a wordsmith, passionate about books, reading, education, healing and health. She has appeared several times on television and radio; speaking about her passion. She has Master’s degree in Medical Immunology from the College of Medicine, University of London and worked at a postgraduate college of medicine in London for over a decade before pursuing her passion for writing. She is the author of four books.

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