Success Mechanism Part 2 of 5
Part 2: How books and quotes help forge my self-belief
Suggested Readings
Books are foundational to positive growth and, ultimately, success. I gravitated toward books about why people do what they do, success stories, incredible stories of overcoming adversity, how to reach your full potential, the comeback story, and concepts that grew and challenged my thinking about what is possible. My success mechanism has grown through the hundreds of books I have read throughout my life, and I am constantly adding concepts, anecdotes, stories, and truths.
Jonathan Livingston Seagull, by Richard Bach: I learned from Jonathan Livingston Seagull that absolute satisfaction comes from constantly working on myself, breaking free from what society expects, and aiming for a greater purpose in life. Seagull taught me to rise above average and mediocrity and find my true potential. This rebellious bird's desire to exceed expectations and expand what he believed has helped me expand what is possible for me. Don't follow the flock!
The Inner Game of Tennis, by Timothy Gallowey, teaches that two 'selves' exist at work within our minds. There is a (Self 1) that is a conscious, analytical, judgmental self that gets in its own way through overthinking. And there is a (Self 2) that is an intuitive, instinctive, and capable self that performs when it feels free from interference. To access Self 2, I must quiet the incessant noise of Self 1. I learned to be assertive and intentional and to be the only voice in my head as I am working towards achieving my goals.?
Tapping into Self 2, my 'believer self' advocates for me and motivates me to be my best self. Accessing my 'believer self' is a choice; I have to maneuver my thoughts and settle my mind intentionally. Well, a lot of the time, because my Self 1, 'judgmental self,' prefers to beat me up and tell me my limits and why I can't do something. Getting through Hell Week would not have been possible without my 'believer self' resting on my shoulder, telling me, 'I am that man,' I can't be broken, and there will be time to rest when Hell Week is secured.
My success mechanism stayed activated through an already existing mindset and the fact that I knew I would get through Hell Week. The success mechanism is a goal-seeking mental program foundational to my mindset. A mindset is a set of attitudes and perceptions that filter information and help us interpret and respond to the world around us. For those who don't know, Hell Week is the fourth week of SEAL Training at BUD/S, starting on Sunday evening and securing on Friday afternoon. Constant chaos, endless cold, and instructor shenanigans with essentially no sleep. So almost hourly, another of my boat crew members and I would constantly remind each other that 'it was mind over matter, and if you don't mind, it doesn't matter.' It was our mantra, our anchor, and we internalized it. We believed it. We lived it.
On Thursday night of my Hell Week, around 11 PM, Class 164 was allowed to go into Building 164 for 45 minutes to rest, use the head, hydrate, or change clothes.?I went to the pay phones and made a collect call to my mom in Florida. Back home, it was 2 AM, and she answered. I do not remember much about the conversation, but I remember all the phones occupied with a line behind each one. Years later, when I talked with my mom about the phone call, she said my voice was so distorted that she didn't recognize me. And that I kept repeating, "They can't break me, they can't make me quit." My self-talk during Hell Week was on level Herculean, and I relied on my believer self to get through.
These are just a few quotes and books my father shared with me that were instrumental in creating my driven mindset.
Defining Quotes
Quotes are a quick and powerful way to convey a message, and my father was masterful at having a relevant quote or story ready at the right moment. The following quotes are a small sampling of the quotes I remember, and they were decisive in teaching me principles that my mind could grab when I needed some 'in the moment' wisdom. Words have power and, when used effectively, can help mold a powerful mentality and success mechanism.
"Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve." Napoleon Hill's quote set in motion the understanding that if I expand my self-belief, I can expand my possibilities.
领英推荐
"You don't do things right once in a while. You do things right all the time." by Vince Lombardi. Success isn't about a single perfect performance but a commitment to consistent improvement.
"Success is the progressive realization of predetermined, worthwhile, personal goals." by Paul J. Meyer. This quote emphasizes that success isn't just about the end result; it's about the growth, learning, and effort you put in along the way.
For just as you think...you are!, from a poem titled,?You Can't Get Big by Thinking Small. I learned that my thoughts shape my reality. And I realized that my actions would never exceed the limits of my self-belief. I start with my belief system as I encounter challenges or take on a new project to increase my chances of success.
Being intentional in determining who you are at your core is an essential step in building an unbreakable will and self-image. Pondering the quotes I was introduced to, especially those related to identity and self-belief, helped me decide who I was and what I was capable of. This would become important in my decision to join the Navy to become a Navy SEAL. Even though I was not a Navy SEAL yet, I knew that in my core, I was the man I needed to be to become a Navy SEAL. That belief was embedded in my soul because I knew who I was.
Quotes are pivotal in helping me visualize who I am and whom I will become. They are an essential element of my success mechanism. Quotes help create and dial in the 'already existing' mindset. I collect quotes in a file on my computer and look at them regularly when I am preparing to do something meaningful to me or when I want to update my daily belief statements that I consume each morning.?
Everyone mentally consumes statements, ideas, concepts, and words that translate to what they think and feel and distill it down to what they believe all day. These statements are derived from social media, radio stations, podcasts, TV shows, talking with people, and more. What we consume shapes how we think and what we believe. I chose to be very intentional in my mental consumption. The quality of my mental consumption directly affects my results in life.
My father understood the power of words and wanted to teach me how to use them to create my future. Quotes, books, and poems are my primary apps to expand my success mechanism. They are fuel for my 'in the moment' wisdom and help shape my mindset. My driven mindset has become my mindset of success.
Part 5: Win The Day and Conclusion
#DRIVEN #Discipline #Resilience #Initiative #Vision #Efficacy #NeverQuit #Belief #SuccessMechanism