Whether you believe you can, or cannot, you are right.

Henry Ford

The well-known automobile tycoon had it right.  What you believe greatly influences your subjective reality.  Life, as you know it, is based upon a number of things.  However, the basic template for your life, and what you will experience in it, is by and large determined by what you believe.  We often think that what we believe is predetermined by reality, and observable facts – but the opposite is true – the reality that we observe is mostly determined by what we believe.  So, if we want to experience something new or different, believing we can do it makes it more likely we will eventually experience it.

Case in point: thousands of years ago, it was commonplace to believe that the earth was flat.  Simple observation of the horizon fading away to nothing in the distance suggested that this was true. As a result, sea-travelers were taught to avoid venturing too far from home, for fear of falling off the edge of the earth into the abyss.

Then, around the 2^nd or 3^rd century BC, Greek philosophers such as Aristotle began to make logical observations that suggested this was untrue.  By taking note of several different visual effects related to constellations and their changing appearances depending upon the observer’s location, they deduced that the earth must be more round, or spherical. Supported by this new belief, explorers began to venture further away from home, leading to the discovery of many new, foreign lands.  None of these explorers would have ever traveled without first believing that they could! 

Another common belief was that the earth was the centre of the universe, and that everything else, including the sun, revolved around it.  It was such a common belief that even parts of religious doctrine and scriptures supported this notion.  In the 15^th and 16^th centuries (AD), men like Copernicus and Galileo began to reveal their observations that suggested this was not true.  Although forward thinkers like this were condemned for their heretic views, as more and more evidence was recorded to support this new theory, eventually the ‘new’ theory of a heliocentric solar system could not be denied.

So, what if you want to believe that change is possible for you?

What you choose to believe is influenced by a number of factors: cultural or familial tradition, religious doctrine, previous experience, observable and recorded facts, to name a few.  In the end, it remains a personal choice.  If you want to believe that something new is possible, you can.  People often avoid change for fear of criticism, or because they are afraid that change will not result in a better outcome.  We often look down at people who try new things, calling them crazy.  However, wasn’t it Einstein himself who defined insanity as, doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results??  If we want to experience something different, new or exciting, we need to do something different.  In order to get over the fear of something new or foreign to us, we have to first believe that change will result in something better.

How do we change our beliefs?

The best way to create a new belief system is to find someone who has already experienced what you want, and ask them how they did it.  De-mystifying the process takes a great deal of fear out of the experience.

Visualize yourself already achieving what you want.  Use as many of your senses as you can to create the visualization.  Science shows us that visualization alone increases a person’s skills to perform an action, even when compared to physically rehearsing the same action.  Therefore, if you want to improve the odds of being good at something, rehearse it in your head first. 

See negative experiences as obstacles, not barriers.  If you come up against what looks like a roadblock on your journey toward your destination, see it as an obstacle that must be overcome.  Anyone who journeys into more uncharted territory will encounter blocks.  Those with the determination to succeed will tend to find a way around, or through, the obstacle.  If the obstacle appears too great the wise will often take the lesson, abandon the journey, and choose another new path altogether.  One must be careful to not confuse determination with stubbornness. 

Hire a coach.  Any of the great athletes in history will tell you how valuable it was to have a coach help guide them through the difficult process of becoming great.  When faced with important life decisions that require change, a life-coach can be an invaluable resource.  Certified life coaches are trained professionals in the process of change.  Having an unbiased personal support crew makes change less daunting, and they can also serve as an external source for motivation, inspiration and accountability.

Above all else, believe in yourself.  Dream big, but detach from the outcome.  Know that nobody is perfect – everybody makes mistakes.  Often the most successful entrepreneurs experienced multiple failures before ‘hitting it big’.  The ones who succeed in the end are those who believe that they eventually will, no matter how many times they experience a setback.

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.

Anatole France

Go for it!

Dr. Christian Guenette

aka The Common Sense Coach^TM

www.thecommonsensecoach.com