In celebration of Parent's Day, I have a lot to celebrate. I took being a parent seriously. Well, maybe not seriously, but it was a very important role for me. I also had a pair of great parents. They were a huge reason for my success. Let me explain what I mean a little later on in the blog.
I had someone ask me recently why I thought some people were successful in life while others are not. I do not want to get into how you define success- that is a blog in itself. I think two keys to success are confidence and support.
Successful people believe in themselves and believe they will succeed. Many people have the skills and tools to do something special. The ones that end up being successful have deep self-knowledge. They know what they do well, what they need to work on, and where their boundaries are. They have the confidence to use their strengths without fear, and the knowledge of where and when to use them. Their confidence will take them over rough patches and temporary failures.
You are what you believe you are. Our minds are so powerful we can will ourselves to believe we are strong or weak, happy or sad. If we believe ourselves so convincingly that we are going to get sick, we end up with real symptoms.
“Be careful how you interpret the world: It’s like that.” by Eric Heller
That is why placebos and suggestive selling work. We can use power poses and grateful practices to reframe our attitude. Use positive language to support the story in our mind: "I can do that." or "I can make that happen!"
It works the other way also. I remember one visit recently to my parents when I first heard my mother say, over and over again, "I am 88 years old, I am not going to get any better!" In her mind and in her language she was resolved in the fact that she was not going to recover from whatever ailment she had at the time. Those beliefs have a strong influence over what we actually experience.
Confidence is a belief that is fed by success, which is more easily achieved with the help of a strong support team. It is helpful to have that support group to recharge you when you get drained. I am blessed to have a large group of people who support me. True support cannot be coerced, bought, or manipulated. You need to earn the support of others. My biggest supporters are my parents, who have believed in me for 63 years. My wife's belief in me has spurred my confidence every day for over 40 years. My brother and sister, relatives, and close friends are always there to pick me up. I do rely on that in order to push forward and take risks when my personal belief is not as strong.
Thank you Mom and Dad, I appreciate the support you gave to me. I recognize you on this Parent's Day, 2020.
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