Battle of Belief

Early in our lives, we might have make believe friends and play dress up. (Think about that phrase “make believe”)

We’re later taught to pretend to like our jobs because it provides us financial security.

I’m willing to bet we’ve all seen famous people say, “Anything is possible if you follow your dreams.”

I’m also willing to bet when you considered trying to follow dreams, someone eventually said, “That’s not realistic. You need the genetics to be there.”

We get told by society to be realistic.

I can remember being on the phone with my friend talking about wanting to be on the same NHL team together, only to have a family member overhear and say, “Rhyland, do you really think you’re going to make the NHL?” with a smile.

This isn’t a question of the chances that a 5’8” goalie makes it the NHL, but rather our attitude towards challenges. Why is it wrong to try? What if you shot for the stars and land on the moon?

This shift ends up affecting our lives to prevent us from believing in much at all.

To be fair, most of the prior generation wasn’t allowed to dream the same dreams. University didn’t have the vast resources it does now. The accessibility and resources we have are exponentially more plentiful than what our parents had.

However, I fear for their doubt as well. What if that culture limited them?

I am certain almost all of the greats in any discipline had something to deal with. Low probability of success.

I was a person who wanted to live for adequacy. Do the minimum and enjoy simple life.

Then one night, I was heading down a rabbit hole of motivational speakers and came across Will Smith saying something so simple and powerful; “Being realistic is the fastest way to mediocracy.”

This was powerful to me. I realized if I expected that I didn’t have a shot, then I wouldn’t try. And If I don’t try, I also don’t know what I am capable of. I become my own limitation.

How are you limiting yourself now? What do you wish you were capable up of but protect yourself from it by saying, “It’s not realistic” “What if I fall short? That’s embarrassing.” (Very common truth).

If you never try, then you never fail. But if you don’t let yourself ever believe, you don’t try, and you don’t ever know what you were truly capable of.

We stick with higher probability and safer odds.

Here’s a thought: You can't accidentally be great, you can’t accidentally find your dream. It must be fundamentally driven by belief despite the low odds. That is when people start to be above average and do things above the norm.

You have to have an abnormal belief to be above the norm.

Wouldn’t you like to believe you’re just a bit more special? Are you maybe underestimating some realm of your life?

I’m not saying you have to try to beat Michael Jordan on the court, but wouldn’t it be thrilling to choose your right to believe in being better than most at something?

We fear failure. We’d rather be safe.

With that fear and safety comes a decline we do not realize. The decline of our potential success because we become our limit.

Here’s a secret: It’s always a battle of belief. You will always hear doubt, and feel it but you battle it with desire and ambition of wanting to be capable of more.

Dare to ask yourself these questions:

Am I my own limitation? Am I allowing myself to believe? What do I truly wish to be?

It starts with you. Take responsibility of finding out who you could be by simply believing, and take some risks to find out what you can do.