Learning how to believe in yourself will open up endless possibilities in your life. At times you may find this difficult to do. The truth is that we’ve been conditioned throughout our lives to doubt ourselves. We must retrain ourselves to get rid of our fears and self-doubt in order to build self-esteem and self-confidence.
Everything you have in your life is a result of your belief in yourself and the belief that it’s possible. Here are the four most important steps to learning how to believe in yourself. Practice them and you’ll be amazed at the results:
- Believe it’s possible. Believe that you can do it regardless of what anyone says or where you are in life.
- Visualize it. Think about exactly what your life would look like if you had already achieved your dream.
- Act as if. Always act in a way that is consistent with where you want to go.
- Take action towards your goals. Do not let fear stop you, nothing happens in life until you take action.
Let’s take a look at each of these steps…
Believe it’s Possible: You Always Have a Choice
In order to believe in yourself, you first have to believe that what you want is possible.
Scientists used to believe that humans responded to information flowing into the brain from the outside world. But what we now know is that instead, we respond to what the brain — based on previous experience — expects to happen next.
In fact, the mind is such a powerful instrument; it can deliver literally everything you want through the power of positive expectation.
This is why it’s so important to always hold a positive expectation that what you want is going to happen. It is simply a choice and a discipline of the mind.
Visualization: See What You Want, Get What You See
By adding a visualization practice to your daily routine, you will naturally become more motivated to reach your goals. You’ll start to notice you are unexpectedly doing things that move you closer to your ideal life.
Suddenly, you find yourself volunteering to take on more responsibility at work, speaking out at staff meetings, asking more directly for what you want, and taking more risks in your personal and professional life – and experiencing bigger pay-offs.
One way to do this is with a vision board. A vision board is a graphic representation of exactly what you want in life. You look at it every day. Use it to visualize exactly where you want to go.
Acting as if: Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?
One of the most effective ways to establish a success mindset is to act as if you are already the kind of person who has created the ideal life you want to live.
Ask yourself: If you had already achieved your dream, what kind of person would you be? Who would you have as friends? What type of clothes would you be wearing? How would you act? How would you treat others? Would you tithe a portion of your income to your church or favorite charities?
Whatever actions you identify, start taking them now. By acting “as if,” you will become the kind of person who is capable of creating the kind of success you want – and this will trigger your subconscious mind to find creative ways to achieve your goals. You will start noticing anything that will help you succeed. Best of all, you will start acting on this opportunities, because you will have the confidence that your efforts will yield great results.
Take Action Toward Your Goals
I’ve noticed this is where a lot of people get stuck. You can understand all these principles, and you can set your goals, and say your affirmations and do your visualizations, but ultimately nothing happens if you don’t act on them.
The biggest reason most people don’t achieve their goals and realize their dreams is that they don’t take action, and the number one reason people don’t take action is fear. And, what I tell them is that fear is normal, and as soon as you experience fear, you need to take action.
Remember, when you believe in yourself and believe success is possible for you, and take action on that belief, your life will begin to magically unfold. And you’ll discover that the universe will guide you and support you.
Consciously and subconsciously you’ll begin to recognize opportunities that you would have normally not seen in the past.
As the beloved originator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series, Jack Canfield fostered the emergence of inspirational anthologies as a genre—and watched it grow to a billion dollar market. As the driving force behind the development and delivery of over 100 million books sold through the Chicken Soup for the Soul® franchise, Jack Canfield is uniquely qualified to talk about success. Jack is America’s #1 Success Coach and wrote the life-changing book The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be and Jack speaks around the world on this subject. Check out his newest book The 30-Day Sobriety Solution: How to Cut Back or Quit Drinking in the Privacy of Your Own Home. Follow Jack at www.jackcanfield.com and sign up for his free resources today!
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