Belief is a tricky thing. It’s fickle. We believe when we want to, when it accommodates us, when it’s convenient. But to believe against adversity, to believe when the world is void of anything that remotely resembles a reason to believe … THAT is belief.
It’s even tougher to believe in yourself. I learned that the hard way. I think I thought that believing in oneself meant pompousness, arrogance, an inability to realize what you DON’T know, and therefore, a cease in learning. It took me well into my late 20s to understand the difference between confidence and cockiness … and that’s not to say cockiness is bad. It’s not. A little swagger is good. But with maturity comes (hopefully) a realization of what you DO know, a belief in oneself and one’s abilities to execute, and to execute well.
A very wise friend once told me: “Know what you don’t know.” He’s right. You have to know your weaknesses … We all have ’em. Own them. Use them to fuel your fire. Believe in your ability to strengthen yourself, to learn, to choose a different path if that’s what is necessary.
I don’t know where I’m going with this. (Surprise, surprise) … I just know that belief is powerful. Believe in yourself. Truly. Believe in your strengths AND your weaknesses, in your ability to evolve and adapt and grow from experience. Believe in your talents and your ability to see those through. Don’t waste time second guessing yourself. Believe, and that belief will create reality.
