Believe to Achieve

Believe to Achieve

An Art of the Question Blog

What Do I Believe?

 “It is not a dream. It is my reality.” – Roger Bannister

 Someone once said, “whether you believe you can or you can’t – you’re right!” Well, Roger Bannister believed that he could.

 No one had ever run a four-minute mile – it was considered impossible for a human being. But Roger Bannister believed that he could break the “impossible” barrier. So, on March 6, 1954 at Oxford University, he set out to break the record. In the first 2 laps, he was ahead of pace, but three-fourths of the way into the race, he fell behind the pace needed to break the record. Things looked grim. But 300 yards from finish line, he went into his kick. The crowd was on their feet, cheering him on. He collapsed in a heap as he crossed the line. 3:59.4 seconds.

 His record was broken 46 days later.   

 That’s amazing! Once one person broke the “impossible” barrier, others followed quickly. In fact, a four-minute mile is now the standard for professional runners. The mile record has been lowered by 17 seconds! It wasn’t impossible after all!

 How about you? What “impossible” barrier are you facing?

 According to Ken Blanchard, the The ABC’s of Personal Power are:

1. A ctivating Event
2. B elief System
3. C onsequence arising from actions based on the event and belief

Let’s focus on the Belief System. Where do beliefs come from?

 1)    Our environment – this is where “Dreamstealers” are especially dangerous. You know who they are. How many times have you heard, “You can’t do that! You’re crazy!” Don’t listen to them – move forward with living out your dream!

2)    Knowledge of Others – reading about, watching or hearing about the success of others can be very empowering. “What one man can do, another can do.”

3)    Past Successes – If you succeed at one thing, it is much easier to succeed at other things. Past successes are key events that help change the paradigm of “I can’t”.

4)    See it as though it had already happened – Athletes do this all the time – they focus on every part of their performance before they actually perform. They see every move, feel every sensation. The practical impact of this is that they have a “Past Success” – not in reality yet, but in their vision.  Dr. Benjamin Bloom of the University of Chicago did a study of 100 extraordinarily gifted athletes. Surprisingly, he found that they didn’t start out by distinguishing themselves as super-athletes. Their success was an outgrowth of careful attention, direction and encouragement by others. Their belief that they could excel came before the proof of athletic success.

5)    There is power in vision, especially when it is written down. Start a DreamBook. Write down your goals, dreams and aspirations. Write them down, and focus on them every day, several times a day. Print them on cards and put them in a place where you will see them often. On the bathroom mirror, on the steering wheel of your car, on your computer. And think about this dynamic principle:

 Attitude > Potential > Action > Results > Belief  > Greater Potential

Imagine the possibilities…

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