“The most successful people are not the most intelligent. The most successful are those who are determined, persistent, and optimistic. They are dedicated and committed to their dreams and have learned to bounce back after each failure.”
—Nancy Salmeron
“What is holding you back from pursuing your dreams?” I asked my client.
“Well, I don’t think that they can become a reality,” she said. “I believe it’s impossible for me to become the CEO of a company because I am not smart enough, I don’t have the right connections, and I don’t have the experience to be a CEO. I have always been an employee and that is it. And I am a bit old to start now, don’t you think?”
“I am going to be blunt and you may think a bit harsh with you, but as your coach it is my job to be transparent and honest with you,” I replied. “Remember, I am only here to help. I believe that your excuses are holding you back from believing in your dream of becoming a CEO. You have a long list of them, and you have given them too much credit! These false ideas have affected your belief system in a negative way. In addition, the fear of the unknown is also trying to keep you from living a big life. You believe these excuses are true and you hide your greatness in them. You are blinded by false mental concepts about who you really are. You have convinced yourself that you are too old, not smart enough, and you don’t have the experience or connections to be a CEO because your belief system is not aligned to who you truly are. If you desire to become a CEO of a company someday, it’s because you have what it takes to be a CEO! Your dreams or desires were given to you and only you to be accomplished. Not everyone has a dream of becoming a CEO, but you do. Believe in yourself more. Believe only in what uplifts you, not what limits you. I see an amazing, intelligent, capable woman who needs to become the CEO of her dreams, so she can impact the world. My goal is to get you to believe that!”
“I guess you are right,” she said, “and that is why you are here to show me how to believe in myself.”
“Yes. Let’s start by making a list of all the reasons you can and should be a CEO,” I told her.
Today, I want to talk about why you haven’t pursued your dreams and what you can do to get on your way to believing in yourself!
You believe what others tell you.
Be very mindful of who you share your dreams with. Not everyone is pursuing their dreams, and therefore, they will shoot your dreams down. When someone does not encourage you to follow your dreams it is because they don’t believe in their own dreams. You need to stop asking people for advice who have no desire to go where you are going. The only advice you must seek is the advice of your soul. Your soul knows the way.
You believe you are too old.
This was my belief for a very long time. I thought that I could not start a new career. I told myself that I was too old. I couldn’t possibly start all over from nothing. When you focus on thinking that you are too old, you limit yourself from amazing possibilities. Some of the greatest success stories about individuals living their purpose have happened after the age of forty. I believe the reason is that after forty you start to question your life and its importance.
You believe you will fail.
The fear of failure has killed many dreams before they even start. Maybe you have failed in the past and were not able to recover. Failure is part of believing in your dreams. You will fail, but you will also learn. You will only succeed when you see your failures as lessons. Failures also point you in the right direction. When you believe in your dreams, you must also embrace and let failure lead the way.
You believe that you are not smart enough.
Some people believe that to pursue the dream of being an entrepreneur you must have very high intelligence and the abilities to be an entrepreneur. Yet, I must remind you that pursuing dreams has nothing to do with IQ but much more to do with determination, optimism, and perseverance. It is your determination that will make you commit to your dreams. Your optimistic attitude will make you persevere when you don’t feel you can push any more. The most successful people are not the most intelligent. The most successful are those who are determined, persistent, and optimistic. They are dedicated and committed to their dreams and have learned to bounce back after each failure.
As you develop a belief system that supports your dreams, you will remember that your dreams define you. They may also remind you of who you truly are. You need to believe in your dreams so that you can inspire others to do the same. Challenge the status quo and don’t let your fears keep you from living a big, courageous life. Let go of mental chatter that does not fully express who you are. Only embrace those positive affirmations that empower you. You can make all your dreams come true. The first step is to believe and drop all those thoughts that hold you back. Until next time, Believe. Change. Become.
Sending many blessings and much love your way!
Nancy😊