A thought by John C. Maxwell from his book, Beyond Talent (p. 24). HarperCollins Leadership. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)
I’m sure that many of you want a personal breakthrough in your life. And it starts with a change in your beliefs.
John goes on, “Why? Because your beliefs determine your expectations, and your expectations determine your actions. A belief is a habit of mind in which confidence becomes a conviction that we embrace. In the long run, a belief is more than an idea that a person possesses. It is an idea that possesses a person. Benjamin Franklin said, ‘Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.’ If you want to achieve something in life, you have to be willing to be disappointed. You need to expect to succeed. Does that mean you always will? No. You will fail. You will make mistakes. But if you expect to win, you maximize your talent, and you keep trying.”
He says, “You will become on the outside what you believe on the inside.
“Attorney Kerry Randall said, ‘Contrary to popular opinion, life does not get better by chance, life gets better by change. And this change always takes place inside; it is the change of thought that creates the better life.’ Improvement comes from change, but change requires confidence. For that reason, you need to make confidence in yourself a priority. You need to put believing in your potential, yourself, your mission, and your fellow human beings at the top of your list. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt asserted, ‘The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.’ Don’t let your doubts cause your expector to expire.
“Harvey McKay tells the story of a professor who stood before a class of thirty senior molecular biology students. Before he passed out the final exam, he stated, ‘I have been privileged to be your instructor this semester, and I know how hard you have worked to prepare for this test. I also know most of you are off to medical school or grad school next fall. I am well aware of how much pressure you are under to keep your GPAs up, and because I am confident that you know this material, I am prepared to offer an automatic B to anyone who opts to skip taking the final exam.’
“The relief was audible. A number of students jumped up from their desks, thanking their professor for the lifeline he had thrown them.
“‘Any other takers?’ he asked. ‘This is your last opportunity.’
“One more student decided to go.
“The instructor then handed out the final exam, which consisted of two sentences. ‘Congratulations,’ it read, ‘you have just received an A in this class. Keep believing in yourself.’ It was a just reward for the students who had worked hard and believed in themselves.”
Now truly believing in yourself comes from the belief that God created you and that He doesn’t create junk. Do you see the importance of changing your beliefs? And will you?
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