A person who doubts himself is like a man who would enlist in the ranks of his enemies and bear arms against himself. – Alexandre Dumas (and also Ambrose Bierce)
Do you believe in yourself, or are you already determined that your attempt is doomed to fail?
What does that mean?
As is often the case with Twitter, this is the shorter version of the a longer quote. “A person who doubts himself is like a man who would enlist in the ranks of his enemies and bear arms against himself. He makes his failure certain by himself being the first person to be convinced of it.”
This is a simple truth, even if it’s a little painful to hear. Doubt in general, and self doubt in particular, is a killer. It will tear down your resolve, it will weaken your will, it will cloud your vision, it will wear down your spirit, and it will lead to failure.
In reality, doubt is the surest, as well as the shortest, path to failure. Doubt will breed fear. Fear will lead to inaction (or half-actions). Inaction will result in failure. Doubt is a pre-admission of defeat. That is the heart of this quote, a warning against falling prey to a defeatist mind set, a warning against doubt.
Why is believing in yourself important?
Once again, I’m going to answer an question with a question. If you don’t believe in yourself, who will believe in you? Yes, you will have some cheerleaders who see something in you that you don’t yet see in yourself, but they are rare. If you find one, hold on tight, they are valuable friends to have around!
Believing in yourself, in your abilities, in what you can accomplish, in what you are willing to risk to get something done, that’s a very important part of life. It helps you define who you are, what you can do, and what you are willing to do.
Belief in yourself is the first step in any achievement. No matter how small the step may be, you have to believe you can get there before it can happen. Even if there is some conflict in your mind over whether it can be done or not, there has to be some level belief.
Even if you think it could only happen with a great deal of luck, you still believe it can happen. That is the start, the seed, of greatness. It is where possibility begins and you take your first steps towards your destiny. Without belief in yourself, little will happen.
Where can I apply this in my life?
Please understand that I’m not saying that doubt will never cross your mind. It will. Just keep it moving, preferably at a rapid pace, across your mind and off the far horizon. Treat doubt like a shooting star. Let it have it’s moment, look closely at it, learn what you can from it, and then move on.
Belief begins a snowball effect, where a little belief gives you a small victory, which inspires more belief, which inspires more victories. This can continue for as long as you believe, and as long as you treat the times when things don’t go as planned as minor setbacks, and still believe in the possibility of success.
Belief also has an impact on your attitude. If you believe something is impossible, how does your attitude change? Compare that to your attitude towards something you know can be done. Big difference, isn’t there? And remember, at one point in time, nearly everything you do today was ‘impossible’ for you to do.
It took me quite a while to learn to ride my bicycle without training wheels. For a while, I even believed it was impossible to do. Now, of course, I know better. But while I was doubting myself, it actually was impossible. That’s how powerful that doubt is.
I didn’t try very hard. I didn’t expect to succeed. I stared at the sticker bush in the yard of my neighbor, and rode my bike into it time after time. The turning point was when I wondered what I would do when I cut the bush clean in half from my repeated crashes. Suddenly, possibilities rushed in, and my attitude started to change.
Take a moment and consider what you might have considered to be impossible tasks just five or ten years ago. Perhaps your challenges were medical, or social, or emotional. What have you managed to do that you once couldn’t possibly have believed a few years ago?
What do you think you could do in the future, if you just believed a little bit? Grab some paper and think about the things you doubt you can do. Either things you presently don’t think you can do now, or things you doubted in the past. Write down some of your more significant doubts.
Pick one of the things you doubt about yourself and consider what other options you have. Do you have to tackle the whole thing in one go, or can you sneak up on it a little at a time? Are there others who might be able to help you? What other resources can you find to help inspire a little belief?
What can you learn from all the past attempts that might make for a greater chance of success this next time? Can you work for the best, but be prepared for the worst? Can you re-label your experiences to better serve you? Are they failures, or opportunities to learn?
Believe in yourself. It has been said by countless people in countless ways, but it is still as true now as it was decades, centuries, and even millenia ago.
From: Twitter, @tonyrobbins
confirmed at : http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/alexandred408686.html
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