I don’t know about you, but I have spent far too much of my time on this planet worrying, uncertain and anxious because I was unsure how things would turn out in my life. What I didn’t realise, at the time, was that I already knew the outcome of each aspiration before it ever happened. I would worry about something and then when it didn’t happen the way I wanted it to, I would often say, ‘I knew that would happen!’ Have you ever said that? It’s because you already knew the outcome, by the beliefs you had and the words you used about it.
I have used this analogy before, and here it is again as it helps give a clear picture of what I’m talking about to set up the rest of this blog. I’m not sure if you like sports or not, but let’s just imagine you are a little fanatical about your team. You have all the merchandise, paint your face in the team colours and generally act a little crazy! You attend every game you can, but there is one instance you are unable to watch your team play live because you have a commitment you can’t get out of, so you set your machine to record it and watch it later. Throughout that whole day, you are able to successfully avoid any chance of hearing the scores, as you want to watch it as if it were live. Just as you are about to get home to watch it, you get a text message from a friend who gives away the fact that your team won the game. As disappointed as you are that you know the outcome, you are excited that your team has won, so you settle in to watch the game.
Let me ask you this, at the start of the game when nerves would normally be high, how are you feeling? Relaxed, right? Why? Because you know the result. What about when your team plays terribly in the first half and are well behind on the scoreboard? Are you stressed, anxious, angry or frustrated? Of course not, because you know the outcome and that your team wins. In fact, during the whole game you are relaxed and able to enjoy every second, because right from the beginning of the game, you knew the outcome.
So, why am I telling you this story? Because, I want you to start looking at aspirations in your life the same way. If you set your mind to an outcome you want, if you affirm and reinforce that focus and if you take the predictable daily action, then you don’t have to be stressed, anxious, angry or frustrated because you already know the outcome. The outcome will be predictable. When I made the decision to write my first book, even despite the fact that I had no time, no experience, no qualifications and no clue how to go about it, I was relaxed and confident. Why? Because, I knew that if I just started writing, and wrote every day and if I continued to do what I needed to do, the outcome would be predictable. Before I even began, I already knew the outcome. It happened!
In my podcast this week called ‘Headstrong – Keep dancing,’ I talk to the amazing Heather Rendulic about her new book, Headstrong, and her journey with a brain lesion called a Carvernous Angioma. This brain lesion led to five bleeds and ultimately a nine-hour brain surgery at the age of 22. Before the surgery doctors stated that there were a few possibly outcomes; she may die, be paralysed, be unable to talk or may even have a different personality. So, you can imagine the fear that Heather must have experienced as she was put under anaesthetic. But, no, in Heather’s mind, she knew already the outcome, and that was that she would yet again be an independent and fully functioning person.
As she woke from the surgery, her family was around her. Her older sister, who was to be married six months later, was sitting and sobbing for her younger sister. Heather woke from the surgery, paralysed, saw her sister sobbing and, with all sorts of tubes in her brain and half effected by the medication, said, ‘Stop your sobbing, I’ll be dancing at your wedding.’ Amazingly, despite all professional opinions, Heather was dancing at her sister’s wedding. Why? She already knew the outcome. She had decided she would be well and independent, she focussed on it, she affirmed it and she took action every day until it was a reality.
My point is that the outcomes in your life are already known by you. You may not believe me, but they are determined by the words you use and the things you believe. If you believe you can, tell yourself you will, decide to get it done and do what you need to do, there is no need to worry, your outcome is done and the result predictable. If you doubt yourself, tell yourself all the reasons why you can’t achieve something, you won’t even get started and the outcome will be equally as predictable. So, your outcomes in life are known by you because they wrapped up in the words you choose to use.
From today onwards, create the outcomes you want by believing in yourself, affirming success and using the words and statements you want to create. You don’t need a crystal ball, you don’t need a palm reader, you don’t need a clairvoyant, and you don’t need someone telling you the game score. Your results in life are controlled by you, so relax have fun and enjoy an amazing life, as you already know the outcome.
So true Andrew. Thanks for saying it out loud.
Fab blog – this is so true – to know and believe it is one thing. To live life knowing it will hold true for you too 100% certain .. that’s magic.
Andrew, Wow that was really inspiring. Puts the ball right back in your court, right where it should be. Thanks for reminding me to take action for my own outcomes in life. I always enjoy your blogs.
Awesome analogy Andrew. Thank you. 😉👏