I’ve not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that don’t work. — Thomas Edison
If you have been reading my stories, you have probably guessed that I am a fan of Thomas Edison.
Did you know that he lived next door to Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone, and down the street from Nelson Burroughs.
Four of the most successful men of their time, all lived within a few blocks of each other here in SW Florida.
That is pretty amazing.
In case you didn’t know Thomas A. Edison invented:
- The phonograph
- The movie camera
- The incandescent light bulb
But, these are just a few of the 1093 inventions the Thomas Edison was issued patents for.
This is the same guy who failed 10,000 times while trying to invent the light bulb.
Was he optimistic or what?
What We Say To Ourselves Determines Everything
Henry Ford said that what you think determines your results,
If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.
What you think about ourselves determines everything.
Your mood…
Your attitude…
Your perspective…
Your success…
Your failure…
Whether you believe that you will succeed, or believe that you will fail, you will be completely right.
It is all based on what you believe.
The cool thing it that you get to choose.
There are two kinds of beliefs that we can form about ourselves:
Limiting Beliefs
Limiting Beliefs come from the stories that we have been told all our life. Maddy Malhotra says,
You don’t know who you are; you just know what they’ve told you about who you are!
Limiting Beliefs break you down and make you believe the lie that you can’t achieve your goal.
They tell you that you’re not good enough, you don’t have the money, or you’re not smart enough.
Limiting beliefs are based on fear.
Empowering Beliefs
Empowering Beliefs do the opposite.
They build your confidence and encourage you to take the risk and believe for a successful outcome.
They tell you that, regardless of circumstance, you are capable of succeeding.
Do just once what others say you can’t do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again. ―James Cook
They empower you to keep striving toward your goal without limiting yourself with negativity.
Empowering beliefs give you the confidence to persevere through rough patches.
The Constant Battle
We all deal with the back-and-forth battle between Limiting Beliefs and Empowering Beliefs.
You begin to fly when you let go of self-limiting beliefs and allow your mind and aspirations to rise to greater heights. ―Brian Tracy
So, how can we win the battle?
Instead of feeding your fear and negativity, shut those thoughts down with an emphatic declaration that you will give your best effort to succeed.
Replace your Limiting Beliefs with Empowering Beliefs.
For example: Instead of saying, “I’m not 100% sure that I am heading in the right direction.” Say this instead, “Moving in the wrong direction is better than being paralyzed by fear and going nowhere.”
Instead of saying, “If I try that I’ll probably fail and look stupid.” Tell yourself, “If I fail I can use it as a learning experience.”
You get the idea.
Giving Into Fear
Remember: We all get what we tolerate. So stop tolerating excuses within yourself, limiting beliefs of the past, or half-assed or fearful states. ―Tony Robbins
How much easier is it to give into fear?
It doesn’t take any effort at all.
Saying “no” means that you don’t have to try.
You don’t have to be nervous or uncertain.
You don’t have to do anything at all.
But giving into the fear also eliminates your chance of success.
Fear is inevitable, but pushing through that fear is the first step in reaching success.
And we all know the famous saying, “You never know until you try.”
How To Win The Battle
Trying something new is the same feeling as walking into a dark room.
You’re not sure what’s in front of you.
You’re not sure if you’re going to trip.
You’re not sure if you’re going to run into a wall.
You’re just not sure.
What’s wrong with running into a wall every now and then?
It doesn’t hurt all that bad, and it’s pretty easy to bounce back after you shake off the minor embarrassment.
The best part is laughing about it later.
The same is true of failure.
It’s not all that bad.
You bounce back, and know that the wall is there so you don’t run into it again.
What failure teaches you is what doesn’t work so you don’t try that same approach again.
In your next attempt, you change a few things that didn’t work in the first.
Any failure brings you closer to success.
Conclusion
Empowering beliefs are ideas that launch us forward and help us to become the person we want to be. Empowering beliefs are freeing, encouraging, and inclusive; they nurture and uplift. When we find ourselves harboring a limiting belief, we need to replace it with one that cultivates joy.
― Laurie Buchanan PhD
Everyone deals with fear, self-doubt, and limiting beliefs, even the most successful people in the world.
What determines your future is what you choose to believe.
Do you believe that you will fail?
Do you believe you will succeed?
Whatever you believe — you are right.
Originally published on Medium
Photo—Thomas G. Fiffer