We all have beliefs or perceived truths that we hold dear to us. These truths shape our perceptions or our view of the world and make us who we are. They guide us in decision making, interactions, and determine our way of life. However, beliefs can be either true or false, good or bad, and positive or negative. False beliefs, for example, are those perceived truths that are drawn from a misinterpretation or misunderstanding of life events or phenomena. In some instances, our beliefs change as we mingle with people of different views and as we experience new or different things in life.
Our focus, for now, will be on sticking to our beliefs even when it is hard. Needless to say, this applies to those who hold good and/or positive beliefs. Beliefs can be deemed good if they cause us, above everything else, to value others and, they allow us to find our purpose and live according to it. Positive beliefs are those beliefs that empower us and make us feel good about ourselves without having to esteem ourselves of better value than others. The emphasis on the different types of beliefs is based on the fact that sometimes our beliefs can cause us to do unimaginable things to ourselves or others, and this indicates a need to reconsider our way of life. Cliff Young’s story is a good example of how sticking to beliefs impacts our lives and sometimes, the lives of others too.
In 1983, Cliff Young who was 61 years old at the time, joined the Sydney to Melbourne race snakes covering a distance of almost 550 miles and takes about a week to finish. To everyone’s shock, this old man with little competitive experience wore overalls and work boots to an event where he was to compete fit runners in their prime. Many thought he wouldn’t last and some, fearing for his health, called for him to be banned from partaking. But he had other plans, he believed with his heart and mind that he could run and complete the race. He didn’t have any self-limiting beliefs. When the race started, nobody was surprised to see Cliff immediately falling behind. However, halfway through the first day, Cliff overtook all the season runners and took the lead. Instead of stopping to sleep for the night, cliff continued to run while the other runners slept. When everyone woke up the following morning, Cliff had built an incredible lead. He set history by winning the race with a 10-hour margin!
The first lesson we can pick from Cliff’s story is that in some cases, we will face opposition and discouragement from people who may think that our dreams are impossible to achieve. He chose to stick to his belief that his background and strategy were enough to help him finish the race. What made him achieve the unexpected was that everyone doubted him and consequently, did not see his victory coming. Had they paid attention to him and expected him to do much, they would have tried his strategy too. Belief and confidence give us the strength to reach our goals, and in some cases, influence the world in the same way Cliff did.
Through sticking to our beliefs even when they are seemingly less likely to lead us to victory, we have a chance to change the perceptions of our critics as well as those who chose not to pay attention to us. If you stay true to your beliefs, you can still start that businesspeople thought was a silly idea and have relationships people thought are just a fairytale. Thus, sticking to your beliefs even when it is hard can lead you to a victory that can change your world.
Sticking to beliefs also boosts one's confidence. As you experience the joy of achievements resulting from one of your beliefs, your other beliefs will be affirmed. You will get the feeling that your beliefs are valid and you are headed in the right direction. As you remember what you achieved when no one else thought your way of life was what you needed to succeed, you get the understanding that your beliefs and mental state matter more than external influence.
Further, beliefs help us cope with life. As we remember why we started believing in the first place, we get the strength to keep going and we are also reminded of why we cannot choose anything else. In that regard, sticking to our beliefs keeps us focused. And, not only do we stay focused but, we are also motivated to do more. Sticking to our beliefs when things are hard and we are tempted to try a different way of life protects us from making decisions we are likely to regret in the future and giving room to things that are against our values.
