And no, it’s not bitch, but that is a close second.

Belief. Let’s talk about belief.

When you believe in something so wholeheartedly, so unapologetically, so damn determined and persistent, what are some of the feelings you experience?

An all consuming passion?
Intense and insatiable drive?
Authentic fire building up from within?
An unrelenting itch to get out there and just go?

Yes, yes, yes and Yes! Belief is the necessary ingredient for the hearty stew of action to occur.

Belief <–> Action

Without belief, you cannot inspire action. Without action, there obviously is no belief.

A closed mind cannot inspire belief; only an open mind can thus be witness to such miracles that is a life courageously lived.

One cannot merely wish for something to occur, riches to be had, transgressions to be wiped clean. One must believe in it with an all-consuming desire and passion and then take ACTION.

I believed that I deserved to live a better life apart from the immense drudgery I felt at a desk job so much so that I was inspired into action.

I believed that I was strong enough, knowledgable enough, capable enough, determined enough, to earn my way up to Black belt in Shotokan Karate so much so that I was inspired into action.

I believed that I was independent enough, competent enough, savvy enough, smart enough, to travel the world on my own terms as a young, single Asian female so much so that I bought a one-way ticket to the world and set off on my own amazing adventures.

Belief. More powerful than you think. Literally.

Lukewarm, apathetic notions of a better world does not actually make the world a better place.

Likewise, blackened veils of a terrible, cursed place that is the world does not inspire one to crusade in making it not so terrible, not so cursed. Believe in the change that is possible, then become the change.

Piero Ferrucci once said, “How often–even before we began–have we declared a task “impossible”? And how often have we construed a picture of ourselves as being inadequate? … A great deal depends on the thought patterns we choose and on the persistence with which we affirm them.”

I cannot even begin to detail how many times I’ve believed myself into action, into getting what I set out for.

Here’s just one example:

For both corporate job interviews I’ve had and gotten the position I set out for, I practiced, obsessively did my research, and talked aloud to myself for DAYS ON END that I WILL NOT LEAVE THE INTERVIEW WITHOUT GETTING THE POSITION I WANT.

You want to know what happened as a result? You guessed it: I. Got. The. Job.

The fire in the eyes, the blazing intensity, the fierce determination to not settle for anything less. This is what employers want. This is what people look for in those they want to collaborate with. This is what partners look for in a mate. This is what makes champions champions. This is what makes successful people successful.

And it all starts with BELIEF.

Change starts in the mind. Developing belief is not an overnight thing. Not many things are, when you think about it.

**

How to Develop Belief

Development of belief must come through practice. Merely reading about it without taking action will get you nowhere closer to developing belief. Keep this in mind as you read the following.

1. Determine to accept nothing less than what you set out for.

Like with my job interviews, I made it a point to not leave the interview until I was certain that they will have chosen me for the position I wanted.

I burned all my bridges and left no other way to evacuate. I made no exit plans, no plan B’s. I was forced to move forward, forced to get what I set out for.

The only company I interviewed for after I graduated from university was Walgreens at their corporate headquarters in Deerfield, Illinois. All my eggs in one basket? You bet your ass.

It doesn’t always work out like this, mind you, but it works more often than you think. When belief is applied vigorously with large doses of determination, persistence, personality, trustworthiness and usefulness, the employer (or anyone for that matter) will be hard pressed to turn you away.

Everyone wants a winner on their team. And that winner is you.

2. Eradicate negative belief and the word impossible from your vocabulary.

There is a Chinese proverb that is most fitting for this occasion and it goes a little like this, “The person who says something is impossible should not interrupt the person who is doing it.”

Completely eliminate negative thinking! Completely eradicate the word impossible from your vernacular!

You don’t need it and it has never done anything good for you. It’s only held you back.

The moment I said, “Shit. I can’t go up against that chick. She’s going to eat me alive,” while at the U.S. Karate Nationals was the moment I had already faced failure. I practically didn’t even need to go through with the match because I stepped out onto the mat with the mental thought of losing.

Realize the impacts and consequences of our everyday thinking. Change the negative to positive. Even if you lose, you’re more than likely to win.

And all based on attitude and belief, you ask?

Yes. More powerful than you think.

3. Associate with men and women who believe in you and who desire nothing more than to see you succeed rather than see you as competition.

The best friends you could have around are the ones who love you, support you, encourage you, and root for you. Sure, they’ll tell you what’s up and won’t sugarcoat their talks with you, but at the same time, they want you to succeed. They don’t want to see you fail and fall flat on your face.

These are the friends to have around.

Everyone else? Especially those who get jealous of your success, regard you as competition, talk behind your back, criticize you with no apparent reason or purpose? These are the folks you can let go.

4. Realize there was never a better time than now to be a dreamer.

Even if you’re a realist, life seems bigger and more beautiful when you have dreams you set your entire being towards, yes?

There is no need to condemn, no need to criticize. We all know we experience too much of that already, if not doling out generous portions of it ourselves. Let the dreamer be and perhaps one day you may become one yourself.

It is not the believer that has her head in the clouds, who doesn’t think practically or rationally at times, who are completely loopy and not in tune with the realities of today, that I refer to here.

Believers and dreamers that are not afraid to believe in something greater than what they see in front of them are the ones who are change makers, thinkers and doers, rattling and shaking, all the way while leading their own revolutions.

Right now is a fantastic time to be a dreamer. Never let anyone put you down, put out your fire, steal your energy and zest for life. Never settle for no. Only you have the control to do that to yourself, no one else.

**

William Ernest Henley, English poet, once wrote, “I am the Master of my Fate, I am the Captain of my Soul.”

If you don’t believe you are the Master and you are the Captain, what do you believe then?

Have a little faith in believing! Life beckons you to, for your own sake.