"To have faith in God is to follow this faith through by having faith in the self." - Ernest Holmes (The Science of Mind)
"The Ultimate Gift of Self Belief is Personal Peace." - Cindy Reinhardt
When I opened my daily reading this morning I wasn’t surprised that the topic was faith in self. You see, this week I’ve been reflecting on the strength of my own self-belief, how it’s developed over the years, and what that development makes possible. I also mused about my observations of what happens when faith in self waivers and the upset that often results.
In part, these reflections grew out of a part of my personal goal setting. They were also spawned from conversations with clients who, in my observation, seemed to lack a belief in self to call upon when life’s inevitable curve balls come flying their way, or who tend to measure success mostly in material terms and feel like a victim when they think they’ve fallen short.
The story in this daily reading was about a curve ball experienced by the famous violinist Itzhak Perlman as he was about to perform in concert. Perlman had motioned to the conductor that he was ready. Moments later a string on his violin broke. Unable to pop up to get another violin, he played with only three strings, creating a virtuoso performance to which the audience responded with great applause. But, it’s what he quietly said as the applause died down that speaks volumes about Perlman’s self-belief. “You know, sometimes it is the artist’s task to find out how much music you can make with what you have left.”
When we develop a strong belief in self, we grow our capacity to see life’s curve balls just as Perlman did: an opportunity to see what we can make of the situation rather than being thrown asunder by events.
When we place our faith in self rather than money we have in the bank, we can be curious, willing to experiment, and even willing to fail because we know that in reality there is no such thing as ‘failure’. Even in what may feel like the darkest times, we ‘know’ that we are just fine.
Strong faith in self gives us the strength to make choices that are right for us, without regard for what others make think, say or do as a result.
Developing a strong sense of self has bought me more in tune with nature and with Source (or God, or the Universe, if you prefer) and help me understand that Source is not something ‘out there’. Rather it is right here inside as wisdom to tap into 24/7.
Developing strong self-belief requires commitment, discipline (think ‘disciple’, not your second grade teacher rapping your knuckles with a ruler!), and consistent practice. If it’s a new idea for you, developing self-belief can be helped along with training wheels (think coach).
This week, I leave you (and me) with a challenge: Just how much will you and I deepen our self-belief this year? Are you ready to start (or continue) now?