“If you think you can or you think you can’t, you are probably right.” Henry Ford.
On this day (May 6th) In 1954 at the Iffley Road track, Oxford University, Roger Bannister helped to change conventional wisdom and beliefs that people held by running a mile in under four minutes. The then medical student ran the distance in three minutes and 59.4 seconds!
A mass running event to mark the 70th anniversary of this feat, ‘The Bannister Community Mile’ will take place in the centre of Oxford today.
Prior to the race and his attempt to smash this barrier, people had urged him not to try it. They had told him it was dangerous and life threatening. However, he ignored all this advice and successfully broke the record.
It was an incredible achievement at the time and quite rightly it is still celebrated. Once Roger Bannister achieved this, four runners broke the record within a year because they knew it was possible and could be done. Following Bannister’s achievement, athletes changed their beliefs. They told themselves they could do it and as a result their bodies performed more effectively.
Our beliefs play a pivotal role in the results that we achieve in life. They help to shape and influence our behaviour. Whatever we believe dictates how we respond to situations and determines how we relate to the people that we meet and interact with.
If you believe that you will achieve a goal no matter what life throws at you, then you are more likely to do just that, rather than someone who believes they can never have what they really want.
When a hypnotist hypnotizes someone, they insert a belief into their mind and this influences how that person thinks and behaves. During hypnosis a person can adopt a belief that an orange is an apple or that a pencil is far too heavy to lift. These inserted beliefs change the person’s reality and what they believe they can and can’t do. In much the same way we can all be hypnotized throughout our lives by the ideas we take on from others and believe to be true.
Most of our beliefs about ourselves and how the world operates are formed in early childhood. They are shaped by our parents, grandparents, relatives, teachers, past experiences, media, culture, peers, friends & religion. Aside from physical differences, it’s our different experiences and beliefs that make us all unique.
We may have false beliefs that stunt our growth. An example of a false belief that was universally accepted was that the earth was flat and that if you sailed far enough you would fall off the edge of the earth. Often, we don’t realise what our beliefs consist of or how they have been formed but they influence every moment of every day.
Every belief has a structure to it which we can change if we choose to. It’s like carrying a recording in our heads. If the recording is working for us, we can keep it and maybe update it occasionally. However, if the recording is limiting us, we can take it out and re-record it, so we have one that is working for us.
We accept opinions from influential people in our lives and hold them as facts. However, they aren’t facts but perceptions formed through our experience and other people’s views. Beliefs are views about us, others and the world. These views determine the decisions we take and the way we behave. If we want to change our results in life then the process starts with changing our beliefs.
Beliefs determine how we think and how we talk to ourselves (our self-talk) and this determines how we behave. If we’re overly self-critical or hard on ourselves then we won’t necessarily enjoy the journey towards a particular goal. We’ll feel stressed, anxious and frustrated from time to time. However, if our self-talk is kinder, more encouraging and positive then the journey will be a more enjoyable one. We’ll feel better and therefore behave more confidently. Our results are likely to be more positive.
There are two types of belief. We can have empowering ones which help us to believe that we can achieve. They propel us forward towards our goals and help us to feel confident and good about ourselves. Alternatively, we can have limiting beliefs. These hold us back, hinder our progress and negatively impact our confidence levels. They may mean that we get in our own way.
There are countless examples of beliefs missing the point. Many said photocopiers, telephones and computers would not catch on. Look how those beliefs turned out!
It’s important that we continue to challenge the beliefs we have and ensure they are working positively for us. All of us have the power and control over our beliefs which shape our self-talk/thoughts, behaviour and ultimately our results in life.
This week, why not pause for a few moments and think about what beliefs that you hold that empower you and which limit your performance. Having done this consider if there is anything that you are motivated to change.
To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk