The power of belief — Once upon a time, in a land far, far away … you already believe something about what comes next. So where did the belief come from?

In a study conducted at the University of British Columbia … once again, you already believe something about what comes next.

Are you starting to get the idea?

Let me tell you a story about a personal experience I had when I was 11 or 12 years old, which was so powerful it was etched into my memory. Even today, almost 50 years later, I can relive the experience in my mind.

I was in a sailing race, on a cold and miserable fall day. There I was, crouched in the lee of the mainsail, hunkered down in the bilge of a Sabot (an 8’ one design racing dinghy) trying to stay warm and dry as the rain poured down in the very light, but shifting winds. I was thinking, “This isn’t fun. Why am I out here? What’s the point?”

Then it struck me! If I was feeling this way, and it was certainly negatively affecting my concentration and performance, everyone else must be feeling the same way! AHA!! This was the first time I remember looking at the conditions, and how it was affecting the competitors, and realized that I could impact the outcome and my performance by changing my mind about the conditions. I decided that these conditions were meant for me, and the cold was irrelevant, and the rain was immaterial. I decided that I would not have anything in my mind but thoughts about how much I loved these conditions, because it created a competitive advantage for me. Let everyone else complain and suffer while I excelled in these conditions! That’s all it took—changing my mind and embracing circumstance. I had an edge that allowed me to outperform everyone else! The winning mind emerged that day, and I became one with the rain, the wind, and the temperature. Winning is in the mind first … and on the field of battle second.

Point number one – what is happening to us is mostly happening to everyone else, in more or less the same way, with the same intensity, and triggering more or less the same emotional response. Now here is the secret: our own experience is internalized. Our perception of others’ experiences are externalized only. We cannot see into the mind of others. We can only see what they are doing and then apply our interpretation to that observation. What are the odds that we have correctly interpreted? Not good! If you want to know, ask! Don’t assume. Don’t guess. Don’t interpret. Validate.

Point number two – If you consciously change your response/reaction from the one you initially experience to one that is far more effective for the situation, guess what? You are now different from everyone else. What is now happening to you is not what is happening to everyone else!

You are warriors, and the winning mind is yours to choose. Yes, it really is that simple. Think winning thoughts, and you will perform winning deeds. Win the turnaround in your mind. Then make it happen in the real world. You will have created your personal success. So it is written.