| What do you believe about yourself and your | | | | potential. As William James said, "Human beings, by |
| abilities? Do you believe you have the ability to be | | | | changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can |
| excellent at what you do? Do you believe you | | | | change the outer aspects of their lives." |
| can achieve anything you set your mind to or do | | | | All the successful men and women who have |
| you believe that you are just not equipped with | | | | gone before us have been people of faith. They |
| the tools for success? These questions all speak | | | | resisted doubt and fear and fought to overpower |
| to the amount of faith you have in your ability to | | | | their self-limiting thoughts and beliefs - choosing to |
| succeed. They are born of the thoughts you | | | | replace them with empowering ones. In the |
| habitually harbor, ultimately determining your level | | | | process, they developed a powerful, supportive |
| of expectation and the results you experience. | | | | self-concept - one which engenders faith in their |
| Your Self-concept | | | | ability and pushes them to persevere where |
| We've all been programmed since birth to think | | | | others would have given up. Henry David Thoreau |
| and behave as we do today. Since it is impossible | | | | reminds us, "If one advances confidently in the |
| to behave in a manner inconsistent with our | | | | direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the |
| programming, this usually leads to a negative | | | | life which he has imagined, he will meet with |
| outcome in our lives. Fortunately, the | | | | success unexpected in common hours." |
| programming can be changed; and with effort, | | | | This kind of conviction emboldens the successful |
| you can replace your self-limiting thoughts and | | | | ones to attempt things that others thought were |
| beliefs with self-liberating, empowering ones. | | | | impossible; and in the end they are able to |
| In order to live as a person of faith and begin to | | | | achieve remarkable things against seemingly |
| operate with confident expectation you must | | | | insurmountable odds without regard to the dire |
| change the foundation upon which your belief is | | | | predictions of those around them. |
| built - your self-concept. Your self-concept is the | | | | Action Plan |
| bundle of beliefs you have about yourself and | | | | Here are four tips that I believe will SAVE you |
| about every part of your life. This set of beliefs | | | | from a life of mediocrity and help you develop a |
| determines your reality as each and every one of | | | | healthy, supportive self-concept and live your life |
| us sees the world through the prism of prejudices | | | | as a person of faith: |
| created by our belief structure. As we change our | | | | - Say positive things to yourself everyday. |
| belief in any area of our life, we simultaneously | | | | Affirmations are statements of belief and as you |
| begin to change in that area as well. | | | | continually affirm and reinforce these positive |
| | | | ideas to yourself you will begin to feel better |
| The Law of Belief | | | | about yourself. |
| The law of belief states that whatever you | | | | - Act as if you are the person you wish to |
| believe with feeling becomes your reality. Your | | | | become. A wise man once said, "Begin to be now |
| emotions are like a well-primed engine that | | | | what you will be hereafter." |
| provides your thoughts energy and power. The | | | | - Visualize. You cannot be what you cannot see. |
| more intensely you feel something, the greater | | | | Begin to visualize yourself as the ideal person you |
| effect that thought will have on your life. Your | | | | would like to be. The visual images you entertain |
| thoughts and emotions, and hence your beliefs, | | | | eventually become your reality because, as Brian |
| can empower or restrict you depending upon | | | | Tracy noted, "they intensify your desires and |
| howyou choose to use them. If you change your | | | | deepen beliefs." |
| self-limiting thoughts and beliefs, you change the | | | | - Emotionalize. Remember that your emotions |
| faulty self-concept which has been stifling your | | | | energize your thoughts. The more intensely you |
| quest for success. This is probably the hardest | | | | feel, the greater the effect will be. Keep on |
| thing you will ever have to do, but it is something | | | | Pushing! |
| that has to be done in order to live up to your full | | | | |