(Note: if you would rather watch the video of this post, click here.)
One of my favorite quotes is from Henry Ford, who is credited with saying, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.”
I love this quote because it’s all about your belief in yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself, there’s not a whole lot I can do for you. All the motivational quotes, success books and inspiring videos won’t help you either. Deep down you have to believe that you can make a positive change in your life. That you can be something more than you are right now. Without that belief, you’ll never accomplish anything significant. Do you know anybody who’s succeeded in any facet of life despite the fact that they were convinced they couldn’t do it? Me neither.
So why is that? Well, it’s because negative people who always see the glass as half empty don’t tend to make a positive impact on the world. They have a very fixed mindset, and they believe there’s not much they can do about their situation in life.
Highly successful and productive people on the other hand, have a growth mindset. They take a proactive approach to life, they’re constantly learning and they believe that anything’s possible. You’ll rarely hear the words “I can’t” come out of the mouth of a successful person. They typically turn the words “I can’t” into “How can I?”
Do you believe you can’t do anything about your current situation, and that you’re basically stuck right where you are unless something magically happens to better your situation? If so, you’re probably right. You will most likely be right where you are, doing the same thing, next week, next month, and probably this time next year. If this is the way you see the world, the chances of your life being significantly better five years down the road is greatly reduced .
However, if you believe you CAN do something about your life, well you’re right again. There is literally no limit to what you can accomplish in the next 5 years if you believe you can and then set your intentions to make it happen.
The cool thing about believing in yourself is you can do it without permission from other people. You don’t need anyone else to believe in you if you believe in you. Obviously it helps to have the support of other people. You may be fortunate enough to have people in your life who support and encourage you. They believe in you too and they want to see you succeed.
On the other hand, you might be surrounded by people who don’t want to see you succeed because misery loves company. They make comments like, “Good luck with that” or “I’ll believe it when I see it.” Use those people as fuel to keep your passion burning. Your future is not up to those people, all they can really do is get in your way, slow you down and discourage you, I f you let them.
If you need more positive support, find it online. There’s lots of communities and forums where you can get the support you need. Take the time to go find one.
So which category do you fall into? Do you believe that you’re in control of what happens to you, or do you believe there’s really not much you can about your life? Well, according to Henry Ford, either way you’re right. Develop the habit of realistic optimism and start making an impact in your life today.
Can you do it? Yes, as long as you believe you can.