This is one of the essential tools needed to succeed in one’s academic endeavour as well as in life. It is one of the major virtues I admire in the man, Thomas Edison. I guess you need to pick up his biography. It is this same fact that Catherine Carson registered in the heart of her son, Benny. Rephrasing her words to him, you have the brains; if others can, so can you. I believe in you but you just have to believe in yourself”. I bet you will agree with me that fear and doubt have oftentimes denied us of the courage to take up certain challenges, to brace up and confront certain things.
The Root of Fear
Every fear and self-doubt has a root. For Mumble in the animated movie, “Happy feet”, it was the fact that he could not sing like every other penguin but, he could tap dance which was odd. For you, it could have been a painful past occurrence or experience, heart-rending remarks from a loved or respected one while growing up, past records just like Sammy that repeated a class 3 good times, and other demoralising experiences. Whatever the source of your fear, you need to confront it, let go of it and start believing in yourself. In your world, God comes first and after him you are next in authority. Just as Arnold Schwarzenneger in the movie was a commando, you are the `determino’ here if we can use the word.
During the school games, Saliatu was overwhelmed by being enlisted to represent Jeffery House in the 400m relay race. While in training, Mary proved to be a better runner and took her place. Mary for some reasons however, could not represent the house, so Saliatu got the nod. Saliatu told herself she had all it took, and guess what, she did win the race.
Self-belief breeds courage which remains an essential ingredient for success. Now, regardless of what your past academic record might have been, the word here is, believe in yourself and believe you can make a difference just like Jim Hawkins in the animated movie “Treasure Island”. He believed in a treasure island and grabbed the opportunity to make wrong ends right with his dream. Our faith either wipes out obstacles In our way or, makes them negligible in comparison with our ability to triumph over them. Our faith brings to bear what others might not have seen in us: the possibility spirit.
Still on believing in yourself
I prefer to use the word self-faith in place of self-belief. Nothing will push us to accomplish great things as much as self-faith will. We cannot go beyond the limit we set for ourselves in whatever we do. Knowing you can make a lot of difference in your academics and in life counts. And guess what, regardless of our gifting in life, we can never rise above our self-faith. Lack of self-assurance has a way of draining our ability to perform. It kills and drains our adrenaline. He who thinks he can, can and he who thinks he can’t, can’t.
Many students have not only failed but have also missed great opportunities just because they lacked the ingredient called self-faith. They never believed they could, and even while working, a signal pops up in their heart reading “you know you can’t” and they go along with it. It doesn’t matter what others think of you and even what you might have been known for in the past. In the “now”, changes can always be made. Permit me to use the word “Me-possible”. If others can, then you can and even do better. Believing in yourself has a way of calling forth your best; it connects and reawakens God’s ability in you. You have a duty to renew your mind to think positively. I have come to understand that when you believe in yourself and you push through, the world will churn out a way for you. Things not only work out for those who believe they can, people create space for them. I won’t underplay the influence of one’s environment here. The truth remains that our environment influences us but, can only determine what we become if we allow it.
Self-faith and the condition of your heart
The Wright brothers had such a high bar of confidence in the air-plane project that they were undeterred by what others thought. Confidence begets confidence. Self-faith awakens our latent skills. It calls forth our abilities Lay down your heart towards the things you would want to get done without doubt, beyond doubt, unquestionably, undeniably, without hesitation, without misgiving, so unbending and put so much sweat and determination into it that nothing on earth can turn you away from it until you reach it.
In the words of an old friend, “if you doubt your ability to do what you set out to do, if you think others are better than you and fitter than you, if you let fear get a grip of you, if you lack bravado, if you have a nervous shrinking nature, if you think you lack optimism, initiative, aggressiveness, aptitude, then you will never win until you get rid of that mind-set”.
What we achieve expresses what we expect of ourselves, and our beliefs indicate what we get out of life.
An ingredient needed by faith
As an achiever or a would-be achiever, faith is one of your secrets, but Faith without work is just mere thought. We can say that Self-confidence is knowledge and it comes from being aware of having the ability needed for what one undertakes. After having a mind-set of self-faith, you need to work hard to get hold of what you believe in. It is important to point out that the things we have thought of and work for, come to us because our thoughts have created them. Faith has its place, so does work. As a wrap-up on self-faith, with faith in God and in ourselves we have a world of possibilities or better still our world of possibilities. Believe in yourself with all your might, heart and mind, and don’t allow fear, doubt and cowardice to get the most of you and your opportunities in life.
