You remember the story.
After many large engines refuse to pull a heavy train over a difficult hill, due to the impossible conditions, a smaller engine volunteers. Even though it seems laughable for this little engine to accomplish what the larger engines could not, the smaller engine proceeds to pull the train over the hill, while chanting, “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.”
Yes, The little Engine That Could was one of our favorite stories growing up.
But little do people realize that this story may have had the most significance & meaning of any that we ever read as a child.
This story can change your life.
The little engine that could is all about the power of belief. It actually comes from a story called “Thinking One Can,” which was launched in 1906 by positive thinking fanatics, to advertise the power of positive thinking to the young.
The point is, like the little engine that could, you can do anything you want it your life. You only need to have a better understanding of the power of belief and to know how to apply it in your life.
Amazing things have been done in this world. And you are going to see 4 examples of that in this article. I ask you to have an open mind, because if you adopt some of these principles, there is truly no ceiling in your life.
First, what is a belief?
Our core belief system’s has been constructed and shaped throughout our life based on numerous events we have experienced that we perceive as true or false.
If no one ever told you that the world was round, would you believe it?
Most of our beliefs are shaped by others; Parents, TV, social norms. And sadly, most of them are limiting beliefs.
Whether it’s that you will never be rich, or you cannot chase your dreams and have to get the safe office job, beliefs that are not originally your own have been battered into your head your entire life & they strongly affect how you live!
And before you get pissed at your parents, its not their fault. They were shaped with these same beliefs growing up, but they are not as lucky as you. They never took action and decided to shape their own beliefs and enter a world where there are no limits.
To use the power of belief & change a belief system, you need to reprogram your brain.
You need to understand that you are infinite and are limited to nothing.
Want to be rich? There’s billions of dollar changing hand everyday, and you can have as much of it as you want.
1) The 4 Minute Mile
Prior to May 6th 1954, no one had ever run a 4 minute mile. The general consensus around the world was that it was physically impossible. Experts stated that the human body was “just not capable of it.” They even went as far to insist “his lungs may explode and he would certainly die.”
This belief rang true for decades, and during this time hundreds of athletes continued to fail to break through this barrier.
May 6th 1954, Rodger Bannister ran the miracle mile in 3:59:4. By doing this, he didn’t only break a world record, but he broke a limiting belief in the minds of hundreds of athletes. The four minute mile was now possible.
In the following years, the power of belief showed. As athletes trained and had a new achievable goal, more and more of them began to break the 4 minute mark.
Fast forward to present day, running a four minute mile is now common place.
When you have the will & believe you can do something, you are going to do it. Simple as that.
2) Lifting 500 Pounds Overhead
This second story is amazing and very encouraging. It concerns Russian weightlifter Vasily Alexeyev. Prior to the 1970’s no one had ever lifted 500 pounds overhead. Vasily had the current world record, though failing to break to 500 pound mark several times. As Vasily prepared for a lift in an important competition, his trainers told him that he would be lifting a weight that he had already lifted before. Vasily stepped up and lifted the weight. It wasn’t until after the lift that he realized his trainers deceived him and he actually lifted 500.5 lb’s for the new world record. Though this deception, his trainers erased the limiting belief in his mind that, like the 4 minute mile, was most responsible for him not being able to break the 500 mark. Once the 500 pound limitation was removed from his mind, Vasily went on to lift more than 560 pounds overhead. This is an incredible example of instantaneous power of belief.
3) Kyle Maynard – Overcoming Obstacles
Kyle Maynard is extraordinary. He was born with congenital amputation and has done more with his life that most people will ever do. But beyond his incredible achievements, such as climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and competing in an MMA fight, he an incredible example of the power of belief.
When Kyle was growing up he wanted to wrestle. When he started off it was really bad. He lost every match for a year and a half, 35 matches in a row.
Over and over, people were telling Kyle, “a guy with no arms a legs will never win a match in wrestling.” And Kyle bought into that belief for a year and half, and begged his parents to quit.
His first win, after 35 straight losses, came as a complete shock to Kyle to the point that he kept pinning the guy and kept letting him up until they stopped the match for the mercy rule.
It really had nothing to do with the physical side of things, but for a long time I bought into the belief of other people telling me that I’ll never win a match, so I didn’t. – Kyle
After this one win, he never went back.
The next year in 8th grade he went undefeated and went to the State Tournament. He ended his high school career by winning 135 matches, getting invited to nationals & placed 12 in the nation. Check out Kyle wrestling, he is truly incredible.
4) Morris E. Goodman – Miracle Healing
Morris E. Goodman or “the miracle man” is special.
When he was 35, he was in a horrific solo plane crash while attempting to land one afternoon. With his neck broken, his spinal cord crushed, and every major muscle in his body destroyed, Morris was no longer able to perform any bodily function except to blink his eyes.
Doctor’s told him he would never walk or even be able to breath without a respirator again.
Without use of his body, Morris still had his mind intact. And according to him, that was all he needed.
Morris relentlessly visualized himself walking out of that hospital everyday, and never allowed a thought to come in his head that deferred him away from that goal.
8 months later, he walked out of that hospital.
Doctors have no explanation. Morris does. He say’s “man becomes what he thinks about.” Check it out below.
These are only 4 examples of the power of belief. We have not even begun to enter the rabbit hole. I could talk for hours about the placebo effect, the “no-cebo effect” & much more, but I believe that this is enough for you to believe. Now how can you use the power of belief to stop being average and turn heads?
How to Use the Power of Belief to Achieve Anything
If you’ve made it this far, you know that the power of belief is real. Very real.
So can you take this knowledge and change how you think to mimic the great feats of the people above?
Absolutely.
You are not born with the power of belief. It can be adopted at any time in your life. Just make the choice, and follow the steps below. And you too will achieve whatever you put your mind to.
Take what is is you want to achieve. Apply these steps. And never give up.
If you do, you will succeed. I promise you.
1) Change your mindset from a Fixed Mindset to a Growth Mindset
It’s always great to hear stories about the power of belief and how to change your mind, but it’s even better to see actual science behind it.
Many people in the world have a fixed mindset, meaning they believe that their skill is predetermined and all of their talents are set and have been given to them like a blessing. On second hand, people with a growth mindset believe that they determine their skill and that they can achieve anything through effort and hard work, regardless of their predisposed genetics.
If you want to understand more, and learn how to adopt a growth mindset, watch the 10 minute video below:
2) Eliminate all limiting thoughts
I can’t, impossible and other limiting beliefs should not even be a part of your vocabulary. See ya later!
3) Affirm it
Whatever your goal is, it is not true today.
So what!
You need to believe it to be true, even when it’s not. Just because it’s not right in front of you, doesn’t mean it is not real and it is not coming.
When Jim Carrey was young, he was poor. Very poor & struggling to get a single part. He wrote himself a $10,000,000.00 check and dated it 3 years in the future. He looked at it every day and knewone day he would cash it. 3 years later he was chosen for the role of dumb and dumber and learned that he would in fact make $10,000,000.00 for that part. It works.
Write down your goal on paper. If your goal is to be rich, write down “I create and attract wealth into my life easily, effortlessly and naturally,” or write yourself a check and date it for 3 years down the line.
Carry this with you, put it on your bathroom mirror and believe it. Because if you do, then it is true.
Like George Costanza says, “It’s not a lie if you believe it.”
3) Visualize and feel as if it already is
I don’t know what it is that you want to achieve.
But whatever it is, visualizing yourself already having achieved it, and feeling how it feels to be there is a game changer.
Athletes who visualize running their event in their mind actual experience the same muscles firing as if they were running it in real life. The brain does not know the difference.
When you believe and visualize that you already have it, this is the energy you are emitting outward, and that is exactly what you will receive in return.
If you want to be rich, visualize yourself spending loads of money and getting more checks than you know what to do with. Come back to the present and keep those feeling with you all day.
Amazing things will start to happen.
4) Go out and start creating
With your new beliefs, go out into the world feeling great, as you will, and start to do it. Act as if your goal is already true.
If its running a 4 minute mile, go out and train. Your new beliefs will have you hitting personal bests every month.
Remember, no matter how great your attitude is if you don’t put in the work it is a waste of time. You need to be aligned with your goals and your attitude, and that is when the magic happens.
Every actions has an equal and opposite reaction. It’s a law of nature. If you put in two years of intense work, you will reap the benefits. The action of sitting on the coach all day will give you back just that.
5) Keep at it & remember this article
When you find yourself in that tough spot, when you are hitting wall and are just not sure you have what it takes, remember this article.
Remember that you have the power inside of you, and if you believe it then you can 100% achieve it. No matter how wild the goal is.
Goals take time. Remember Jim Carreys took 3 years to manifest, but it did. And if you do the work and keep your belief system right, you are going to succeed. If you believe there is no way you will fail, how could you?
In conclusion .
You can do anything you want in this life.
You can be rich, you can quit your job, you can change the world.
Believe in your goals. Relentlessly.
Don’t listen to the doubters, because they will be there. And when you can overcome them, and the doubt in your own mind, people and opportunities will start to come into your life daily.
Source: Men Improvement
