We talk a lot about stewarding our bodies.
We know we should eat healthy, drink plenty of water, exercise, and take care of ourselves physically. Many people even understand the importance of what I like to call “word food”; the things we speak into ourselves and over ourselves. But in order to create lasting change, it is not enough to repeat positive affirmations from time to time when a social media post reminds you to. You must actually live, believe, and remember the truth you speak.
So many people mock or downplay the person with sticky notes on their mirror reminding them they are beautiful. They laugh at the daily reminder set on someone’s phone telling them they will be successful. They roll their eyes at the person repeating, “Money comes to me easily and effortlessly every day in every legal way.”
To the glass-half-empty person, it’s cheesy, ridiculous. It’s wishful thinking.
But to the glass-half-full person, it’s opportunity.
And if I’m being honest, that’s the person I want to relate to.
Opportunity Begins With Belief
You see, in order to become educated, successful, wealthy, fulfilled—or whatever it is you desire—you must first have the opportunity to become such.
One of the most beautiful examples of this is what happens when someone invests in an underserved school. It is not the money itself that transforms a child’s life. Rather, it is the resources that money provides which creates opportunities that otherwise may not have existed.
A college degree does not guarantee wealth. A certification does not guarantee success. But both create opportunities that can lead to those outcomes. And I believe the same principle applies to the way we steward our minds. The way we talk to ourselves, things we believe about ourselves, or the stories we tell ourselves about what is possible for our lives.
Psychologists have long studied the concept of self-efficacy, which refers to a person’s belief in their ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish particular tasks. Research consistently shows that individuals who believe they are capable are more likely to take action, persevere through challenges, and ultimately achieve their goals. In other words, belief does not guarantee success.
But a lack of belief can certainly prevent it.
Many people believe that networking, the right connections, or access to certain rooms are what create opportunity. And to a certain extent, they are right. But if you walk into those rooms believing you do not belong there, believing you are not worthy, believing you are an imposter, then you might as well have stayed home. Because it is not the room that changes your life. It is not the people in the room that change your life.
It is you.
Say "I'm Proud of You" to You
This is why I believe stewarding your mind is just as important as stewarding your body.
Tell yourself you’re beautiful, capable, intelligent, worthy.
And perhaps most importantly, tell yourself you’re proud of you.
Not because you have achieved everything you desire.
Not because you’ve become everything you hope to become.
But because every single day, despite fear, doubt, insecurity, you continue to show up and believe that something greater is possible.
And sometimes, that belief is the very thing that creates the opportunity you’ve been praying for.
[…] But as I’ve written before, one can be right but not justified. […]