Jumping Into Belief

Too many lives are controlled by doubt and fear. I was reminded of this point over the past two days while river-rafting on the Snake River. Standing at the top of a 25 foot cliff and staring down at the raging waters below him, a fifteen year old boy was paralyzed with fear. His imagination was running wild with all of the negative things that could possibly go wrong if he jumped.

He pictured in his mind's eye all of the things he DIDN'T want to happen. He didn't want to slip on the rock while attempting to jump. He didn't want to hit his head on the cliffside as he jumped. He didn't want to land in the shallow end of the river where boulders could be seen. He didn't want to be whisked away by the fast-flowing current down below, unable to swim to safety. He didn't want the life-jacket to malfunction. On and on the visions of what he didn't want passed through his mind while the anxiety, doubt, and fear increased. Although he witnessed several other boys jumping off and making it back to safety, he still didn't believe HE could do it. He stood there in fear, unable to move.

As seen in this little experience on the river, the imagination is a very powerful tool; yet, there are too many who use this tool against themselves. They imagine all of the things they don't want. When they face a challenge, their mind immediately turns to all of the reasons why they CAN'T succeed. Visions of everything they don't want jump before them and they immediately start to believe everything they're imagining, thus inducing more fear, anxiety, and doubt. Because I'm in the sales world, this type of person is the one who can only see the reasons why they can't make their sales goals; why they can't succeed. They imagine slow processes, unresponsive supervisors, bad areas, rejection from prospects, and poor sales results. In essence, they think about all the things they don't want. Even though there are others around them who may be enjoying success, they don't believe they can do it. 

Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will. ~George Bernard Shaw

It's time to start using the imagination to our advantage. Instead of facing challenges with all the reasons why we can't succeed, it's time to turn the tables and start focusing on all the reasons why we can! It's time to start envisioning the outcomes we want in business. It's time to imagine the future we want and the way we want it to happen!

It's time to jump into belief! Believe that you can succeed... that you MUST succeed!

The following are 3 steps to start you on your journey of jumping into belief:

1. Focus on the right side. Instead of focusing on all of the reasons why you can't do something, start focusing on all the ways you can enjoy success. Next time you're faced with a problem, try the following exercise described by Napoleon Hill. Take out a piece of paper and draw two columns. On the left column, write out all of the reasons why you can't succeed. On the right, write all the reasons why you can. Literally place a big, fat X on the reasons why you can't and stop focusing on those. Spend all of your energy on the right side of the page. 

Where you look is where you'll go. ~Noelle Pikus-Pace - Olympic Silver Medalist (Skeleton)

2. Surround yourself with the right people. These are people who won't let you engage in negative self-talk, negative thinking, or complaining. They won't accept the words "I can't." If you've surrounded yourself with people who engage in all the reasons why a job can't be done, it's time to make some changes. If you are one of those people, make a commitment to change today.

3. Imagine the future you want. To become the person we want to become, we MUST start being that person today. We need to start acting like the top sales person, the top accountant, the top banker, the top [place your job title here]. We must use our incredible imagination to create a vivid picture of the type of person we want to become and then start thinking, acting, and being that person today. Get a clear picture of the specific results you want and then start believing it can be done. In fact, convince yourself that it's already been done!

Success can be yours if you will start focusing on all of the wonderful things that can happen with your life. While standing on the ledge of the cliff, that fifteen year old young man overcame the doubt and fear that ravaged his mind and made the jump. Instead of focusing on all of the things he didn't want, he had surrounded himself with people who helped him shift his focus on all of the things he did want. We had him focus on a safe landing, a highly functioning life-jacket, a firm footing to jump from, a landing point, and a safe arrival back to shore. Because that is what he was focused on and imagined, that is exactly what happened. 

It happened to him and it can happen to you. What are the fears and doubts that are holding you back? What are the visions you're creating for your future? Are they what you want or not?

The contents of this article are the sole opinion of the author and do not necessarily represent the view of the author's employer.