If you believe, You can...

Have you ever felt down and out in your work? Have you ever felt defeated in your career? Do you think you need to change your action? If you are thinking this way, perhaps you are on the right track. These are not negative thoughts. This is the first step in right direction to change your orientation at solving what hampers your path of progress. But how do you change your actions?
It is simple yet difficult. Change your attitude. Change your thoughts and words. Positive thoughts and words bring positive action. Negative thoughts and words bring negative action. If you have understood thus far you are ready to walk on the path of success in whatever you are doing.
I remember, as a child when I was traveling with my father in a train pulled by a steam engine. The train was climbing up a large mountain and the engine was puffing loudly. I thought if that tiny little engine could speak while climbing such as large mountain?
I put the question to my father. He laughed and said, "That tiny little engine must be thinking how could I go up that large mountain pulling so many cars? At first, the little engine must have thought the task was too big. But then it decided to give it a try".
I listened attentively as my father continued, "Look now, the little engine is puffing very heavily. Can you hear to what it is saying?" I shook my head.
My father said, "The little engine is repeating to itself, 'I think I can. I think I can. I think I can'. Now, see how it is pulling up the entire train with patience and consistent effort up over the top of the mountain!"
By this time the train had reached the top of the mountain. Now it was rolling on the other side of the mountain. The rhythm and the sound of the train had changed. I asked my father, "What is the engine saying now?"
Father said, "The little engine is very happy now. On the way down, the little engine is happily repeating, 'I thought I could. I thought I could. I thought I could.' Can you notice how happily it is chugging down?" I nodded happily.
But I realized the moral behind that story of little engine, when I was faced with difficult situation in my life as I grew up. I have come to realize that, when you take a look at the goals you have for your personal and business lives, it may seem to you that you have two huge mountains to go over. You may be feeling a lot like that little engine and think there is no way you can achieve these goals.
I'm sure you've heard the expression, "You have to see it to believe it". If this is how you look at life, then you will never get anywhere you want to go. The truth is, in order to reach any goal, large or small, "You have to believe it to see it".
When you envision something in your mind, your mind sees a picture. Your mind cannot tell the difference between a picture you are creating in your head and a picture your eyes are looking at. According to your brain, it's all the same.
Any new action or habit begins with a thought. Whatever thoughts you repeat over and over in your mind, these will eventually come out of your mouth. Whatever you speak time and again will translate into action.
This brings us to the question we had in the beginning of this article. 'How do you change your actions?' I would like to repeat what I said earlier - You change your thoughts and words. Positive thoughts and words bring positive action. Negative thoughts and words bring negative action.
Forget all the negative words that have been spoken over you and to you since you were a child.In your mind, picture yourself achieving your goals. What does it feel like? What sounds do you hear? Who is there with you? What does it look like? Remember, your mind cannot tell the difference between an image and actually seeing something.
Go stand before a mirror, look yourself in the eye, and repeat, "I can do this. I believe in myself."
Do these above steps as often as you can throughout the day. Whenever you are tempted to say, "This is stupid. This is never going to work. I've never succeeded at anything - why should this be any different", immediately make the conscious choice to say, "I can do this. I believe in myself."