Abraham Lincoln famously became President of The United States in 1860.
But less famously behind that success lay nearly thirty years of failure and heartbreak. From being defeated in his nominations to the US Senate and Congress to losing his sweetheart in his mid-twenties when she died, losing his business and having a nervous breakdown, he never stopped aiming for his goal of the Presidency. He had the belief.
The legendary baseball player Babe Ruth was struck out over 1330 times in his career. All time superstar basketballer Michael Jordan estimated he completely missed scoring some 9000 times and lost over 300 games over the years despite winning every accolade on the court.
And Scottish tennis hero Andy Murray was beaten in hundreds of matches and four grand slam finals in a row before becoming the first British male for 77 years to win Wimbledon.
All of these have the same story. They experienced a life changing moment that they always believed in. A major dream, a pinnacle achievement they set their heart on, that seemed further and further away after each painful setback. But they never let that pain consume them. Or disappointment or doubt, themselves killers of hopes and wishes. They instead held the vision and the sheer power of believing that one day would be their day. And it was.
You are right to believe.
Belief is a personal thing. Where one person continues to believe in the outcome they desire despite seemingly negative results, another will fold and quit after one tiny loss. That’s because belief is powerful – just as Henry Ford, whose words have gone down in history, wisely observed, ‘Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right’. Belief decides the road we will take ahead; the low road to struggle or the high road to stellar accomplishment.
This is where we all are each day. Either believing we will win, or never will and that view gives power to our reality. And that’s why in the end winners come out on top and losers never get near because each only ever believed they would.
It’s all a journey in our mind and that’s why I’ll leave the last few words to the pop group Journey and their top hit, ‘Don’t stop Believin’,
‘Don’t stop believin, hold onto to that feeling’.
What journey have you been on? What power have your beliefs achieved?