Believe

All accomplishments start with a belief. A thought that it would be really cool to _____.  From there it's just a matter of trusting yourself and taking a step forward.

I recently decided to do the 100 mile Hallucination run in 2016. Over the years, I have dreamed about participating in Badwater or the Hawaii Ultraman to test my limits. However, they never seemed realistic because they required multiple prerequisites to even enter their lottery systems. Fortunately, I had the pleasure of speaking to a few athletes that have finished a local 100 mile race. It rekindled my passion for the challenge and helped me to see it as a real possibility.

In 2006, I finished my first IM and was overcome with a profound sense of accomplishment.  Life became easier. Achieving that goal shifted my overall mentality from one of hope to anticipated success. Challenges once deemed impossible now seem doable and within reach.

The same phenomena occurred after Roger Bannister became the first person to run the mile in under four minutes. Soon after, several other top runners were also breaking the four-minute mark. Prior to Bannister's achievement, the four-minute barrier was unthinkable. When one believes, possibilities morph into inevitabilities.

No one will ever accomplish everything they set out to do. Which is actually a good thing because it teaches us to be gracious in defeat, resilient, and an example for others. When we witnessing others bounce back from defeat, it helps us realize that not achieving a goal is something everyone can confront and overcome. Michael Phelps failed to win 8 gold medals in 2004. He bounced back and accomplished the goal in 2008. I wonder how many people saw his accomplishment and found the necessary encouragement to initiate actions towards their own dreams. I know I did.

Can You Be Successful?
Yes. Some of us may have never learned or may have simply forgotten the process. Others may have lost their confidence to succeed. Fortunately, it is an easy skill that anyone can learn to master. It's simply a mater of patience and moving one foot forward. It is the completion of specific tasks within an overall plan. If you want to run a 5k or marathon, don't focus on the future race. Divert your attention to the present moment.  Focus on your 3 mile run today or if that's too overwhelming, focus on tying your shoes. When fear or doubt present themselves, make the steps smaller.  Focus on pulling the sheets back, focus on dressing, or focus on opening the front door. Success is a skill that, when practiced diligently, becomes second nature. It will consistently produce outcomes, creating a productive, vital, and passionate life. It all starts and grows with smalls step.

Success Is Possible
Can you imagine someone saying to his wife 'Hey, honey, I'm going to go to bed early tonight so I'll have plenty of energy to go out and fail tomorrow.' Countless people reenact this 'failure mentality' day after day in their lives. Many people, if not most, have more confidence in their capacity to fail than to succeed. Accept this moment and take a small step.  Don't expect to be a great artist if you haven't practiced.  Don't expect to be a fast runner if you haven't trained. Don't expect to be fluent in Spanish if you're not repeatedly using Duolingo.

Recognize that you are already a success and are doing the best you can at any given moment.  This is the most vital resource available. It will break the hidden chains of shame and help us become the best we can be. Believing in ourselves enables us to build and capitalize on our current skills. Do you believe?