“One cannot be prepared for something while secretly believing it will not happen.”
Nelson Mandela
Just recently, I was juror #6 on a very lengthy criminal trial. The accused was a marijuana drug dealer who was being charged with murder on the first degree. In my perception of what I know about people who break the law, he was guilty from the start! Yet, I had to remind myself that I had to leave my biases behind and listen to the, “fact’s and evidence.” Also, we were all reminded that the accused was on trial for murder not for drug dealing, that he would be dealing with drug charges regardless. I thought all the jurors had heard this message well and clear, but when it came time to give a verdict our unique perceptions or biases gave many interpretations of guilt and innocence. The verdict was that there was no verdict, it was a hung jury! This was a very disappointing end to a tragic story. I ended this chapter in my life wondering about perception and how this may alter our belief system.
Today I will discuss how perception and belief impact your dreams, and how it is essential for you to choose belief in order to make your dreams come true. I promise if you stay with me you may become BELIEVER!
Let’s start with the definition of two very important words for today, belief and perception.
What is belief?
In the dictionary it is defined as follows:
1. an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists.
2. trust, faith, or confidence in someone or something.
Perception is:
1. the ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses.
It is important for me to define these two terms because they can make or
destroy your dreams.
According to Tony Robins,
The way we view life is the result of our beliefs and perceptions. Belief is what we have decided we want to think about and perception is based on our experiences. Even if perception and reality work together to try to give clarity to our lives, they are very different.
Perception has the tendency for confirmation of bias, in which we search for information that confirms our preconceptions. We tend to not seek information that might disprove what we believe, but to reaffirm what we already know. Remember we are creatures that challenge change.
By now you may be saying, “Nancy get to the point!” The reason I had to go in depth about perception is because I had to make it clear that PERCEPTION is NOT REALITY! If you are a realist or need the ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses in order to be a BELIEVER, this may be a very difficult concept for you!
Belief is not the same as perception because beliefs are the things we have DECIDED are true or that exists. A BELIEF is the permission you give yourself to dream. True believers don’t have to, “see it to believe it!” They, “believe it and then they see it!” True believers are empowered by their dreams. They don’t fear them! Thomas Edison and Howard Schultz are examples of true believers.
Thomas Edison BELIEVED that it was possible for humans to see at night, he tried thousands and thousands combinations until he found the right formula to invent the light bulb.
The founder of Starbucks, Howard Schultz is a believer. Do you think if he was led by PERCEPTION we would have Starbucks? Remember he was turned down by banks 242 times. It could be concluded that if he was led by perception at some point it must have been working overtime, and it would have had him eventually stop! Yet he continued to BELIEVE in his dream until he got that final yes! There are endless examples of true BELIEVERS, look around you may know a few!
Every day we decide if we are going to be BELIEVERS or PERCEVEIRS. When it comes to your dreams, I urge you to be a BELIEVER. I have discovered that when I BELIEVE in the power of my dreams, there is this wonderful energy that transpires to my spirit. I am elated with joy as I wait for all my dreams to come true. I can only wish the same for you.
Remember, don’t limit yourself because of past experiences or struggles, that is part of the journey! Never doubt that you will accomplish anything you want in your life, it simply starts with believing. Until next Monday, BELIEVE anything is possible, CHANGE all negative perceptions to BECOME who you are destined to be!
P.S. Last week I participate in a 5 minute coaching session with Chris Delaney you can check it out in Youtube at Chris Delaney. I had a wonderful experience! Chris is such a wonderful human being and exceptional Life Coach. Because of this positive experience with Chris, I have been inspired to start my Youtube channel. I will let you know when it is up and running!