Home > Articles > Motivation > Believe And Conquer
Believe And Conquer
"To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe"
Anatole France, 1844 -1924, French Writer
Who do you believe you are?
Do you know what your beliefs are? What do you believe about yourself? Do you believe in you? And if you don't believe in you, who do you believe in? So many questions!
It seems, even without noticing, that we're surrounded by beliefs; mine, yours, other peoples, governments, companies, religious/ humanitarian organisations - the list really is endless.
Let me ask; do you believe the housing market will rise, plateau, or fall? Did you believe Sadam Hussein had his weapons of mass destruction (several World leaders certainly believed he did)?
Do you believe you'll live a long, healthy life - or do you believe it'll be hard, tough, and probably too short?
"Of course not! How could I think such a thing about myself?" I hear you say. Believe me (sic), you'd be surprised.
What we believe affects every facet of our existence; whether we lead happy, successful lives, or sad, tough times. They affect our health, the way we look, how we associate with other people, career, home life: EVERYTHING.
So, again; what do you believe? If you were to fill a side of A4 paper (or even both sides) with as many beliefs as you possibly could - general, personal, political, anything beliefs - all the ones you currently hold, I guarantee you'd surprise yourself.
"I believe that one day all men (and women) will be equal"
Martin Luther King
Mike of old
Many years ago I lived a much different life than the one I enjoy today. I stuttered, I lived at home, I was unemployed, I had no money, I had no friends, and I began to feel that my life was over before it'd even begun. What do you imagine my beliefs might have been to produce such a life?
Negative beliefs
"I am small, insignificant, I can't, I'm a failure, I'll never be able to speak properly, I'm not intelligent enough to get a good job - an ideal life and 'living my dream' is for other people, not for someone like me."
Do those beliefs hurt even to read? If so, can you imagine what they did to a person who believed them all to be true and lived them?
Needless to say, my early 20's were the hardest part of my life. Nothing since has affected me in such a way as my own self beliefs did back then. From that point, the only way was up.
"I believe I can fly, I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day, spread my wings and just fly away"
R Kelly
the power of belief
Without empowering beliefs, no matter how great our health, how wealthy we may be, or how powerful we may become, it is all of no consequence; for we shall be unhappy and unfulfilled because that is what we effectively tell ourselves we should be.
Conversely, even a blind, deaf and dumb woman born into a world of darkness can believe she is the bird she has never heard, able to soar to the highest peak she has never seen and breathe the air she could never tell. Helen Keller proved to us all her beliefs were stronger than many of us could ever have imagined.
Simply; she believed she could.
"If dreams and ambitions are our table of opportunity, then beliefs are the legs that support and hold that table, keeping them stable by their sheer strength; making sure nothing falls over the side."
Mike Blissett
Mike is leading an afternoon workshop on the theme Believe and Conquer on Saturday 27th November - for more info click here.
