Levels of Belief

One great step

President Kennedy gave a speech in 1961, after Russian Uri Gagarin had just circled the Earth in the first manned space mission. He spoke of his belief that man would step onto the surface of the moon before the decade ended and I remember on July 20th 1969 watching a very shaky black and white image of Neil Armstrong doing just that.

Today, London, Paris, New York, Madrid and Moscow are bidding to host the 2012 Olympic Games. A year ago London really didn’t believe it could win the bid. Today however, mood ‘on the street’ is very different; now more than 60% of Londoners (and 70% nationally), believe London can win the games. There has been a major mood shift; we got excited our belief changed.

Now those who invest in properties are excited about areas east of the city, people who live in the area are dreaming new roads and transport links, investment, better infrastructure. In short, a belief can make a very great difference in all our lives.

Power of belief

The most personal levels of belief are the ones that affect us intimately. They affect our everyday existence; can make us happy, or sad.

I spoke to Jenny, a client for a couple of months, last week who’s all encompassing belief about the world, her world, was that everyone was out to get you, we’re all on the take, you can’t trust anyone not even your friends, ultimately you’re on your own. Ouch!! Her issues included feeling isolated, of stagnation on her life, of being completely bored and depressed with her lot.

“Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great”
Kenny Rogers

How many times have you wanted to lash out, blaming the rest of the world for woe in your life, only to realize later it was your attitude that created the situation in the first place? Would a moment of honest self reflection, a close examination of our belief system, an upgrade of limiting beliefs be more in order?

Sometimes we just have to believe in the good. It’s all we have. Because without that innate trust in ourselves and the world around us that what we want to happen will in fact happen, life itself would just flounder.