You are a champion

Did you know you are a champion?

 

You have won innumerable battles and conflicts…

You have conquered hearts and brains, hugs and positions…

You have won over your own mind, defeating many useless and wasteful thoughts…

You have won over your own limitations, beliefs that have been limiting your power…

You have won over your emotions and you moved on, even when situations tried to prevent you...

 

Do you remember when you were over the edge, ready to fall over an abyss? You won!

Do you remember when nobody believed you? You won!

Do you remember when you couldn’t believe in yourself? You won!

Did you know you are a champion?

 

Keep on winning, the world needs, more than ever, champions like you!

Managing this new reality

How do we manage reality? Besides the physiological side ( the way the brain deals with things), a friend of mine once expressed his point of view and it was very interesting: think as if you have a copy of the external things in your mind and when you relate to them, you are doing it with that copy, not with the reality.

Therefore the problems we experience in terms of dealing with situations come from the difference between the real and the copy. An example:

A friend of mine wanted a bike to go to work; eventually he got it, but the real one didn’t work as he was living about 15 Km far plus the traffic… the end of that dream was an accident he suffered.

The bike to go to work was a copy and the 15 Km far plus the traffic was the reality that crushed his dreams.

Now, what happens when there is a new reality? Particularly when the reality is totally new, we come with a similar copy in our minds, an approximate reference, and we relate to it. It comes from (ours and others’) opinions, ideas and past experiences, beliefs and values, personality, will and a personal call. But it is very different from the reality itself, probably much more different than the example before…

Let’s imagine there is a big sale of bicycles in a huge store. Immediately, a person sees themselves already mounting a very modern shine bike. They go to the shop and there is a huge queue in front and when eventually they reach the place where to get the bicycle, the only thing remaining is not modern, not at all shining…

Another way is to not let yourself be convinced by the copy you carry in your mind. Instead you challenge your perception and you are able to align the copy with the real thing.

Instead of let yourself being fooled by the sale of bicycles, you research more and you are able to find the perfect bike – as perfect as possible – at some shop. You are aware it is not exactly what you wanted, but the price is good and for now, that will be it.

It is not as easy as it sounds, since it means you have to challenge opinions, ideas, past experiences, beliefs, values, personality, your will and call… But you can do it.

Particularly with the new reality we are all living, the best thing is to stop for a moment and align the inner copy with the reality. A few powerful questions may help you:

• Why am I feeling like this? What is the real cause?
• If I don’t like something, what is it possible to get that comes closer to what I like? What should I do to make it happen?
• When it is impossible to live with the reality, what can I do to cope with it? If I can’t cope, what is the alternative I can live, so that I don’t suffer?

 

Do you believe in beliefs?

Many years ago, I was talking with a friend and at some point, he stated that I don’t believe in anything, instead I have knowledge… And my response was well, that is your belief…

That’s why you like something or someone, and you dislike other things and people; that’s why you are committed to some tasks and in relation to other tasks, you are fully lazy… Beliefs and beliefs.

Beliefs guide us every time and everywhere, you can’t simply avoid it or refuse its directions. Ok, maybe you can, by your will power, society or peer pressure, but it will be temporary and probably it will require a very powerful reason for that.

Probably the best thing to do in relation to beliefs is to understand them better. I have a video on the topic, but in general terms:

• Beliefs are not born by themselves; they come during our process of creating the personality and our value system.
• Normally beliefs are inculcated during infancy and childhood by a person’s family.
• However, families are not the only source. There are religions, spiritual groups, school system, community and society. Later in life, there is still some room to create more beliefs from the influence that comes from media, workplace or a group of friends.
• Most powerful than all is the belief that is created from a person’s own reflection. This self-generated belief is rare and since it is very precious.

You may notice two main flaws in this: first, most beliefs are created in a certain environment; second, they are created during a certain period of time. That means if we change environment or period of time, something that everyone does, the belief may not be right in a different circumstance. At least, it will be outdated.

If a belief is wrong or outdated, how to change it? The only efficient way is to create a new belief through a deep reflection. Besides, the person has to experience it in life and feel the attainments that come from it.

This new belief will be so powerful that will displace other similar views, allowing the individual to break their limits and experience achievements in other ways.

Going back to religions

Is religion good or bad?

Implicitly, this idea or question is daily present in the media, talks and dialogues. Crimes against people or by people are easily profiled according to a certain creed, even when, days later, is proofed that was not as such.

I believe the question is not much about the goodness of religion, but how religions may coexist. In reality, that has been the reality in many places for so many years and it is all based in a simple formula:

1. I believe in what I believe, this is my Truth.
2. You believe in what you believe, but I don’t share the same beliefs.
3. As long as I don’t try to convince you or otherwise, we can keep on working and living together.

Even in old beliefs of religions, that formula was present and it was very common that while professing a certain religion, people would keep distance from other religions without saying the other belief was wrong.

Unwillingly, as religions go against each other – or more precisely, religious people go against other religious people – they are becoming weak. Well, they are not clearly linked, but if we check the history of religions, we may realize that when they used to coexist there were more people following them, religions had more strength and positive influence than nowadays.

Maybe we cannot impact religions, but we may impact other people who follow a religion by working on these 3 aspects:

1. Believe in your own Truth, very strongly…
2. …even though I don’t believe in it.
3. I won’t try to convince you, please don’t try to convince me.
4. EXTRA: let’s do something together; let’s create something new, creative and powerful.

In this way, it will be possible people from different faiths to coexist and thrive.

How to create an opportunity?

Normal belief is that opportunities just happen. During the 60’s, people start to get their lives into their own hands and a whole generation started to believe they could create an opportunity, but decades and many crises later, the old normal belief is probably ruling the world and people are feeling in general they don’t have other ways to overcome their situations.

It is true that marches are not working as they used to work before and most attempts to create something – a company, a new life, a new marriage – end in failure. Leaders are scarce and life is being lived on a day-to-day basis. But there is hope.

Yes, there is.

You probably have heard about SWOT Analysis. A little outdated, it is still crucial to get results in a fast way by identifying the main strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

From that perspective, you usually consider an opportunity as a situation or circumstance that may happen in your favor. But, by working on SWOT on a personal level, I have found out that an opportunity is (a situation to which you need) a strength that is still potential. In other words, you can create an opportunity by investing more time on some of your potentials.

It makes sense: instead of just focusing in your strengths, struggling with your weaknesses or fighting with possible threats, focus on that potential you know you have: maybe it is a skill you seldom use, or perhaps it is a quality others appreciate in you, but you normally don’t use it in a productive way.

Reflect.

Understand that potential, hidden behind many layers of other beliefs.

Invest time and energy to make the potential a reality and use it in life, turning an opportunity as part of your strengths, in a way.