It was the wonderful Henry Ford, inventor of the Ford motor car, who said, ‘Whether you think you can, or think you can’t… you’re right.’ The more I deal with the voice in my own head and the more I talk to people wanting to get healthier, create additional sources of income, chase their dream or become a successfully published author, the more I find that the overwhelming evidence is pointing to the fact that most people believe they can’t, and so… they don’t. It’s an absolute tragedy, because the potential, capacity and ability of every person on the planet is far greater than what most people will ever believe or act upon. I’m still working on myself, for sure, and as I do, I want to again try to help you believe that you can do, have or become anything you want and are willing to work towards it. I know it’s hard, if you have a well-established self talk saying you can’t, but I hope this inspiring true story helps a little…
One day, as a small child, Thomas Edison came home from school with a letter he was to give to his mother from the school principal. Edison said, ‘Mom, my teacher gave me this letter and told me to bring it home for you. Only you are allowed to read it. What does it say?’ His mother opened the letter, read it to herself, and then after a short time, with eyes welling with tears, read it to her son. ‘Your son is a genius and this school is too small for him. It doesn’t have good enough resources and teachers to train him, so we recommend that he be home-schooled to get the education he needs and deserves.’ His mother, who was trained as a teacher did just that for several years until she fell ill and passed away.
Many years after Edison’s mother died, he became one of the greatest inventors of the century and is still one of the best the world has ever known. One day he was going through a closet and he came across the folded letter that his old principal wrote to his Mother that day. He opened it and the message, actually written on the letter, said, ‘Your son is mentally deficient. We cannot let him attend our school anymore. He is expelled.’ Edison became emotional reading it and then wrote in his diary: ‘Thomas A. Edison was a mentally deficient child whose mother turned him into the genius of the Century.’
A positive word of encouragement and a positive belief can help change anyone’s destiny. Thomas Edison believed what his mother told him, and the result was a man who changed the world. What would have happened if she had read to him what was actually written in that letter? My goodness there are very thin threads that separate astonishing success with abysmal failure. That fine thread is a thought, a word, an encouragement and a belief. Whatever you need to do to gain more belief in yourself, do it. Your incredible future depends on it.
Creating belief, one thought at a time!
Thomas Edison was blessed to have a mother who loved him, believed in him, protected him and encouraged him. Not everyone is quite so lucky. We are bombarded, from a young age, with the beliefs and attitudes of parents, teachers, friends and society, and, this influence starts to condition our thinking and put us on a certain path. From a young age, Thomas Edison was conditioned to believe he was a genius and that anything was possible. That is what turned out to be his truth, not what his ignorant principal had irresponsibly written in that letter. We are not all that fortunate, and, many of us have to fight against the overwhelming forces of lies before our truth can shine through. The only truth is what we believe, not what others say or what popular opinion suggests.
JK Rowling was told that she couldn’t write and to give up on the idea of getting Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone published. That was untrue. The truth was what she believed, that it would be a success, and, after 40 rejections from publishers, it was. Colonel Sanders was told his recipe for southern fried chicken would never sell. That was a lie. He believed in his recipe, he believed in himself, he believed it would sell, and, after 1009 rejections he proved that this was the truth. My amazing mother, Sue was told, after the secondary cancer was diagnosed in her liver, that she had only 2-3 years to live. That was a big fat lie. The truth lay, not in the doctor’s prediction, but in her belief and desire to live, which helped her survive and thrive for a further fifteen years.
I don’t care who you are or where you come from. I don’t care how old or how young you are. I don’t care what you were told as a child or teen. I don’t care what your current circumstances are. All I care about is that today, yes, this very day, you start to create a different truth by believing more in yourself and your capacity to do great things. If you are fortunate enough to have someone to support, encourage and believe in you, good for you. If not, stop using that as an excuse and start to encourage, support and believe in yourself. Everything great you will achieve starts inside your head with a simple thought.
Are you ready for better outcomes in your life? Say yes! Are you ready to take control of the direction you head and the things you achieve? Say yes! It’s not easy, but it is very simple. All you need to do is take responsibility and control of your words, one thought at a time. Could you think about what you really want in your life? Could you start telling yourself you can, rather than you can’t? Could you get up and do the things you know you should do but often avoid? Could you create a daily habit and continue until you have succeeded, no matter how long it takes? You can, the question is will you?
Remember, the only truth in your life is what you believe. So, now is the time to start believing in what you want, not what you don’t. You can write a little every day, can’t you? You can drag yourself out go for a walk each day, can’t you? You can make a few sales/business calls each day, can’t you? You can do anything and everything that will move you in the direction of your dreams, as long as you deliberately choose the thoughts that will get you there. Every day tell yourself you ‘can do it’ and you ‘will persist until it’s done.’ Every day capture any negative thought, throw it out and replace it with a positive one. Every day, do something small that will move you in the direction of success.
The more you think positive thoughts, the more you associate with uplifting and encouraging people and the more you take action, the more you will increase your belief that you can achieve anything you desire. Your belief will enable you to create the truth that is real for you. That truth is that you are amazing, and you have the capacity to create astronomical success in your life.