A yes will never be guaranteed in life, but isn’t it worth acting in a way to increase your chances of getting a yes? We all want something in our lives. We all want, to some degree, money. Some, more than others, want power, whether to protect others or manipulate others. We want energy to be able to do the things we want to do. We all want love. It doesn’t have to be romantic love. Some people just want to know that someone cares for them.
We all want these core aspects of life. And if you don’t, that usually means you either already have it or you have some sort of mental disorder. I am not a professional or here to diagnose, this is just what I can see with what I know. I’m not here to talk to those who don’t want these things. I don’t know how to help with that, and I don’t know if you would even want help. But if you want something more out of life, I’ve learned a way to get a yes.
This plan will work on its own, but there is so much more in-depth to it that I am just scratching the surface here. If you want to truly succeed in life, if you want success, I highly recommend you read “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. This will touch on some of the topics from that book and my own life experience.
We’ve all heard those speakers who say all you have to do is believe, and it will be done. Well, I hate to break it to you, but if that is what you are counting on, well you’re in for a rude awakening. I can believe all I want, but I will never be the MVP in the NBA. I’m a 27-year-old, 5’8″, unathletic white guy who can’t jump. I am the worst out of all of my friends at basketball, and out of every time I played, I have not seen a single person worse than me at basketball. So, no matter how hard I believe will not be the MVP in the NBA.
But if you count three simple things into the equation of belief, the results start to change. Physical incapabilities, things you do not truly desire, and make sure it doesn’t involve forcing others to change. It seems pretty obvious to me that if you can’t physically do something, well you can’t do it. And if you don’t want to do something, you will never push yourself to get better at it. And finally, if what you want relies 100% on another human being to change, then the odds of them changing are very low, but not impossible.
So why don’t the people who push self-belief talk about these three factors when trying to get people to believe in themselves? I have no defense for the I don’t want to do it other than they are only focusing on things people want to do, but when it comes to not being able to do something, I understand why. There are plenty of times we underestimate ourselves; we believe that we cannot do something that we physically can.
I remember the first time I ran 8 miles in a single run without stopping tr taking a single break. I was easily 40 pounds overweight, I was not a runner, I had no coach, and I had no reason that I should be able to run 8 miles without stopping. Sure, I’ve seen other people do it. I was able to do it because I chose to believe that I could, and I took time to slowly improve myself.
It was not a physical impossibility, even though 2 months before it was a physical impossibility. We grow, we change. Now the odds of me being MVP in the NBA are slim to none, and also personally, I don’t want to be in the NBA, so that both things are against me. It’s a physical impossibility, and I don’t desire it. But that is why the belief people don’t talk about it, they don’t want to add confusion. They want you to have a clearly defined goal that you can aim towards.
And just a quick comment on the third point. Yes, there is the option of manipulation to get what you want or preferably win-win deals, but there is no guaranteed way to change another human being exactly the way you want. I had a friend in high school who was in love with Selena Gomez. The odds of him dating and getting married to her are slim to none, regardless of how hard he believes, if it is physically possible, and if he wants it.
It’s worth believing, so we must foster belief in the things we truly want to accomplish. That’s why I’m writing this right now. I want to be a public speaker, but I struggle with my own self-belief. So this is my start. This is day 1 week 1 of a lifelong journey to challenge people to think differently about themselves and differently about the world. That is my mission, and I hope you enjoy it.
Thank you and good night.