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Every human being has to live in this world facing the reality he is part of. He has to mingle with people and from the early stages of life, he grows up with his wishes, dreams, and aspirations hoping to make them turn to reality. An important factor in turning dreams into reality is believing in their beauty and putting all the endeavors to make them come true.
Belief in the beauty of your dreams, in the skills we are endowed with, and using every chance life has to offer, will make a great difference in the future you are projecting for yourself.
The future is out there for you, waiting for you to make the right endeavors. It will not come to you, you have to go to one another. "What you seek is seeking you." These are the wise words of great poet Rumi who also said: "As you start to walk on the way, the way appears." All you have to do is to follow the lead, and it will guide you to your destination.
Always keep in mind that no one can stop you. The road will be paved with difficulties, but they are there for a reason. If you are an optimist you will see a possibility in every difficulty, if you choose to be a pessimist, then you will see difficulties in every possibility. "The only thing that will stop you from fulfilling your dreams is you." - Tom Bradley.
Some people fail just because they don't believe in their dreams. No dream is too big, or impossible to achieve. Reality may be harsh, but it's not impossible to fulfill your dreams. Countless people have fulfilled their dreams, just as there are countless who have failed, most of whom haven't even tried.
If you believe you will not succeed in fulfilling your dreams, your brain will seek for proves and evidences to support them. His wrong and pessimistic attitude, but if you harness confirmation bias in your favor, by choosing to believe in your dreams, then the evidence will be limitless.
Don't be discouraged by the outside world and negative people, learn how to believe in your dreams, you are the first and the most important one who has to believe in yourself, sometimes you may be the only one, but this is not a reason to give up.
Almost everyone around you, from closest friends to relatives, and family members will make you feel guilty if your beliefs don't match theirs. Don't be discouraged or let them kill your self-confidence. All our dreams and wishes take place in our minds and hearts first.
They are the birthplace of our dreams and the shelter where they grow strong. Every achievement was first conceived in the heart and mind. Dream of chances and opportunities for yourself, and everyone around you that you care about.
Always believe in your dreams, no matter how great they are, the dreams of the past are today's reality, so everything is achievable. Dreams are the sparkle that has given light to people to accomplish great things and bring change for the future.
Don't let anyone or any difficulty limit you from what you are capable of to succeed in the future. Success doesn't come overnight, by dreaming you can visualize yourself in the future, and if you can dream it you can do it.
Belief in yourself is the main key to your success, whatever you want to achieve, nothing can be done unless you believe in yourself first. The greatest successes and victories have happened because people have believed in themselves and have given their full efforts to make things work, while some of the greatest failures are due to the lack of faith in oneself, giving up before even trying.
If you don't believe in yourself, you will not commit enough endeavors and when things become tough, you will be among those people who blame others, or conditions, making excuses, giving up, or victimize.
James Clear in one of his quotes has said: "The biggest difference between successful people and unsuccessful ones (in health, business, and life) is that successful people are determined to make the situation work for them, rather than playing the role of the victim and searching for reasons why a situation won't work."
Whenever you face a challenge or read something you need to learn to implement, what do you say to yourself? Is this for me? Or is it beyond my skills? Your response has to say a lot about your self-belief upon which your success is dependent. People who believe in themselves look for improvement and ways to reach their goals, while those who lack faith in themselves look for excuses.
James Clear in another quote says: "The biggest difference I've noticed between successful people and unsuccessful people isn't intelligence or opportunity or resources. It's the belief that they can make their goals happen."
Everyone has experienced difficulties, problems, and setbacks in life. Nevertheless, your reactions and decisions you make for the future depend upon and you only. What is certain is that our beliefs shape our life and future. If you believe you will succeed, you will become more determined.
You will take control and change the situation, if you don't, then the flow of life will take control of you. For this very reason, it is crucial to rid of fears and self-doubts, building confidence and grow your inner beliefs will make you fulfill your dreams.
The other challenge is to believe in the process, belief only in the dream is not enough, it is a great start, but there are other steps to take. Looking at the difficulties and being discouraged by them, like it is too hard, too complicated, or far reached will only trigger pessimism. Don't call yourself a realist, it won't get you anywhere. You can change reality with your endeavors or you can be overwhelmed by it.
All this happens because we expect the outcome before we start, a wrong concept of the world where certain inputs lead to specific outputs. Some of us are aware this isn't a realistic way to see the world. Experience has taught us to trust reliable and accurate paths to move forward if we want to accomplish great things.
If you don't trust the process, you will expect to reach success without failing only once. If you do, then this will make you believe the opposite, that all our efforts are futile. It means when you hit a road bump, you will see it as an obstacle and make you quit. They are there for you to seek ways to solve problems and conflict to keep moving forward. and remember "Failure is not the opposite of success; its part of success."- Arianna Huffington.
What are the steps to take you to your success? It all depends upon your view of success itself. Success in life is multidimensional covering many important areas of life, family relationships, academic success are all important to feel fulfilled, happy, safe, healthy, and loved.
Just as success is multidimensional, so are the roads to reach it. There is not a perfect combination of ingredients that guarantee you that, but there are some basic steps you can follow to have better success in life, in the world, or anything that matters to you.
Build a growth mindset.
Carol Dweck is a psychologist whose research suggests that there are two basic mindsets, that affect people's way of seeing themselves, and their skills: the fixed mindset and the growth mindset.
People with a fixed mindset believe their skills and talents are static, unchangeable. They believe success is a gift of innate talents rather than hard work. Because of this view, they give up when they encounter the first hardship, believing they lack the skills and there is nothing they can do.
People with a growth mindset believe they can change, grow, develop, learn, and build skills through their efforts. They have higher chances of success, even if they encounter difficulties. Such people believe they are more in control of their life, whereas people with a fixed mindset believe things are out of their control.
How to develop a growth mindset?
Improve emotional intelligence.
Intelligence, in general, leads to success in all walks of life, but experts believe that emotional intelligence, referring to the ability to understand, utilize, and reason with emotions can lead you to success.
How to improve emotional intelligence?
Strengthen mental resilience.
Resilience means to keep on trying even in the face of obstacles. Such people have the mental strength to view challenges as opportunities and they believe in their skills, they believe they can succeed.
How to develop resilience?
Strengthen your willpower.
Research conducted with several children from their early years up to adulthood found out that those who were successful in life had perseverance and willpower. These traits can be part of a personality but they can be developed as well. Looking forward to enjoying the benefits of your results, persisting even when things become tough can often be the key to your success.
How to develop willpower?
Willpower is something you can build through your efforts and practice, but everything takes time. You can start by setting small goals that will help you develop your willpower, which will lead you to achieve larger goals.
Focus on intrinsic motivations
You should ask yourself what motivates you. Is it money, awards, and praise, or something else? Intrinsic motivations are finding yourself meaningful or enjoying the results of your work. Research has shown that incentives can predict some type of performance, intrinsic motivators tend to be better at predicting the quality of your performance. External motivators might get you started, however, intrinsic motivations keep you going.
How to develop intrinsic motivation?
Nurture traits linked to high potential.
According to some recent research, psychologists believe that success is tied to certain personality characteristics. If you want to have a successful life then you must consider developing these six traits.
Conscientiousness
Such people think about the effects of what they do. they consider how other people will react and feel. You can develop conscientiousness by:
Accepting Ambiguity
Successful people are prone to accept ambiguity or situations that are not always clear. Instead of becoming rigid and inflexible, they adapt to every life situation. You can learn these skills by:
Being capable of adjustment
Success is dependent upon your ability to adjust to change. You can develop this ability by:
Courage
History is full of examples of successful people who had to take great risks to succeed in their endeavors, even when chances for failure were very high. Such people use positive emotions to overcome their fears. You can develop such qualities by:
Curiosity
Curiosity is part of the personality of successful people. They want to explore the world around them. They are passionate to learn more and develop new skills. You can cultivate this skill by:
Competitiveness
Successful people see fulfillment in their school, or work environment as a motivation factor, without feeling jealous. To develop this skill you can:
Some traits of personality may be suited for a different category of jobs than others. However, having developed a certain trait of personality will not guarantee you success, nor will you fail if you lack any of that kind of trait. People have different opinions if the personality can develop the necessary skills which serve you in all walks of life.
If you do a little research on the business archives, you can find a long list of successful entrepreneurs who started from zero, yet their success reached the stars.
You may wonder how to put your ideas into action, but through technology at your fingertips, it's easier than never to develop and brand products into the mind of potential customers. Let's take these examples as inspiration:
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is a successful show host, writer, Golden Globe winner, and global icon born in rural Mississippi. She did not allow her past and troubled childhood to define her future. When she was in high school, she started a job in a radio station. At 19, she was a co-anchor for the local news.
After becoming a daytime show host, she had created her own production company. At 32, she was a millionaire, by 2000 her net worth reached $800 million. In the years to come she became the richest African-American of the 20th century, by 2008, her yearly income increased $275 million, while Forbes claimed her net worth reach $2.9 billion.
What is her secret? in a speech given at the Golden Globe she said:
"The single greatest wisdom I think I've ever received is that the key to fulfillment, success, happiness, contentment in life is when you align your personality with what your soul came to do. I believe everyone has a soul and spiritual energy. When you use your personality to serve whatever that thing is, you can't help but be successful."
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Before he became a successful actor, and governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger lived in a post-World War 2 in an Austrian town without plumbing or phone, where there were food shortages and riots that occurred outside his door. Now he is one of the richest movie stars with a net worth of $400 million.
Stephen Hawking inspiring story
Stephen Hawking has a truly exceptional story from which people can find inspiration. He faced many difficulties and challenges during his road to success and achievement. He was born and raised during the Second World War on January 8, 1942, in a well-educated family, but poor, as the war was making life difficult for all. He lived in an Oxford with three other siblings in a family with a scarcity of money.
His early school life was not brilliant, actually, he was the third from the bottom, but he had passions like creating board games, making computers out of waste to solve mathematical equations. Despite his love for mathematics, he studied Physics, because Oxford did not have that degree, later on, he specialized in Cosmology.
At the age of 21, Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), the nerves that control the muscles were failing. Doctors told his family he wasn't going to survive more than two years.
All lost hope, except Stephen Hawking, who believed his disease enabled him to become the scientist he is today. With such an unexpected bad surprise of not living long enough to earn his Ph.D., Hawking dedicates all his efforts to his work and research.
His journey began with research about Black holes to his publication "The Grand Design" where he challenged Isaac Newton's belief regarding the Universe being created by God, for the very reason that it could not have been formed from chaos. "It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue to paper and set the universe going." Even today his theories are published in the headlines.
Although he didn't recover from the disease that made him physically weak over time, he was unwilling to surrender. He said: "Although I cannot move and have to speak through a computer, in my mind I am free."
His body failed him, but not his mind. At the age of 73, he still proved life is about the will to live and willingness to accept and face challenges. Death comes for all of us, but the time between birth and death belongs to us to live it according to our will.
He was a man who couldn't move or talk, but he made miracles and led a normal family life with kids, nevertheless, most people lose hope and surrender to failures. Why should we fall into despair when the purpose of life is not the grave but life itself?
As per the life and work of Stephen Hawking, Michael White, and John Gribbin have elaborated his biography, A LIFE IN SCIENCE.
"Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Never give up work. Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it. If you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there, and don't throw it away." - Stephen Hawking.
Our dreams are our calling, they are the ones that by fulfilling them, will make us feel complete and give meaning to our life. If you believe in your dreams and have faith in yourself, and destiny, having a positive outlook on yourself and life at large, then even if you don't know how to accomplish your dreams they will teach you when and how you try. One step at a time, and see what happens.
Dreams are like a plant whose seeds are sown in your heart and mind, they need the proper care to grow, you need to develop your talents. Your life doesn't belong only to you, by making your dreams a reality, you will affect the lives of other people for the better by giving them hope, joy, faith, reasons to accomplish their dreams as well.
Our dreams are important, they are guided to understand the true meaning of life. Life without dreams is meaningless. They are the ones that reveal the true purpose of our existence, they are like the stars that guided travelers in ancient times. Dreams define ourselves, what is important to us, and what we want in this life, and how we will use our lifetime.
Always keep in mind the words of the successful, and learn from their examples. They have to be a source of inspiration to you, but you have to unfold your myth. Always remember, you are exceptional, there are no two identical human beings in this world, they may have something in common or similarities, but there isn't another you in this world. You have your imagination, creativity, and soul that will help you accomplish your purposes and passions. You are unique and so are the dreams and goals you have in life.
References:
10 Most Successful Entrepreneurs that Started with Little to Nothing. UNIVERSITY OF THE PEOPLE. n.d. https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/10-successful-entrepreneurs-started-with-nothing/
25 Rumi Quotes That Teach Us To Trust Ourselves. Holistic Life. https://holisticlifehub.com/blog/25-rumi-quotes-that-teach-us-to-trust-ourselves
Arianna Huffington's quote is quotefancy. "Failure is not the opposite of success; it's part of success." https://quotefancy.com/quote/757507/Arianna-Huffington-Failure-is-not-the-opposite-of-success-it-s-part-of-success
Bateson, Billie Jean. How to Believe in Your Dreams Even When People Think You're Crazy. EVERYDAY POWER. February 4, 2021. https://everydaypower.com/believe-in-your-dreams-crazy/
Cherry, Kendra. 6 Steps for Success in Life. verywellmind. March 12, 2020. https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-be-successful-in-life-4165743
Ineke Van LInt. YOUR DREAMS ARE THE CORE ESSENCE OF YOUR LIFE. Enthusiasm. n.d. https://enthousiasme.info/en/information/articles/?article=43
Jessica. WHY YOU SHOULD BELIEVE IN YOUR DREAMS. LAVIDA BONITA. October 25, 2016. https://lavidabonitablog.com/2016/10/25/why-you-should-believe-in-your-dreams/
Lim, Shawn. How to Believe in Yourself to Achieve Your Goals and Dreams. STUNNING MOTIVATION. October 15, 2018. https://stunningmotivation.com/believe-in-yourself/
Magsmen, Sandra. Dream It, Believe It, Be It. OPRAH.COM. September 11, 2009. https://www.oprah.com/spirit/dream-it-believe-it-be-it/all
McDowell, Erin. 21 rags-to-riches stories that will inspire you. INSIDER. Jan 10, 2021. https://www.businessinsider.com/millionaires-billionaires-who-came-from-nothing-rags-to-riches-stories-2019-7
Miller, Lisa Lewis. Here's how to stop doubting your dreams. Lisa Lewis Miller. Apr 3, 2019. https://medium.com/@careerclarity/heres-how-to-stop-doubting-your-dreams-a513a47cfe1a
Suzanne, Renee. Show Up for Yourself and Believe in Your dreams. Tiny buddha. n.d. https://tinybuddha.com/blog/show-up-for-yourself-and-believe-in-your-dream/
Verma, Shaifali. An Inspirational Story: Stephen Hawking. yourDOST. (n.d.) https://yourdost.com/blog/2015/11/an-inspirational-story-stephen-hawking.html?q=/blog/2015/11/an-inspirational-story-stephen-hawking.html&
Widener, Chris. 7 Steps to Achieve Your Dream. SUCCESS. February 8, 2017. https://www.success.com/7-steps-to-achieve-your-dream/