Believing is just the start

American world peace advocate and renowned author, Norman Cousins once said, "Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live." Too many times we lose faith in ourselves and the goals we want to achieve because challenges present themselves to us.  Just when we think things are running along smoothly,  an event or distraction comes along and we suddenly lose hope and the belief in what it is we want to accomplish. Why do we do that to ourselves? Is it because we never had enough trust in ourselves from the start?

Believing in yourself, your dreams and your goals is just the start. You must always tell yourself, "Keep it going, keep it going." It is not an option to lose faith in what you believe -- especially when you have already reached the quarter or halfway-mark. That is when you need the most belief! Yes, things are going to happen along your journey. Detours, bridges, tunnels, roadblocks… but the important thing to remember is to NEVER lose sight of the end goal. Imagine had all the explorers of the past stumbled upon a difficulty in their travels. Would they have given up and tossed their dreams to the wayside? No, never. You must always recognize that challenges will happen. Extraordinary events out of your control remain unforeseen until they happen. It is planning ahead for these hurdles that will get you through the long haul. Know that no one achieves some degree of success without sacrifice or hardship. Truth of the matter is no matter how hard you strive to accomplish your benchmarks, there will always be someone or something, which will attempt to stand in your way. Do not allow that to sway you from your course.

 While your destiny may be foretold, your fate is not sealed unless you allow it to be. You mold your fate by staying true to yourself and by understanding that your self-belief is that little voice of reason and hope keeping you on the path to righteousness and greatness. Anything can become a permanent obstacle if you choose it to be that way. It is when you look beyond the obstruction and keep true to your gut that you will in fact be able to go the distance. Sometimes you simply must discover a bypass or bridge to cross difficulties in your life. Sometimes, the bridge or bypass may even help you achieve your goals more quickly; and in some cases, they may help you expand your vision to alternative ambitions that you may not have seen otherwise.

 What can your mind's eye imagine? What limits have you imposed upon yourself? Believing is just the start! Once you realize that you must  continue to go the distance regardless of what life throws your way, you will understand that you are obligated to ALWAYS believe in yourself and in your end goal. Never give up on your dreams. Never give into your fears. Never retreat. You are the owner and the crafter of your fate. Remember the aforementioned quote? "Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live." Do not allow your passion or belief to die inside you -- that is what keeps you going when external influence say you cannot. You become the greatness you desire in life.

Joan Marie Ambrose

Author, Creative Writer, Motivational Speaker