One Strong Belief by Buster Benson (Day 3)
“It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance
The world is powered by passionate people, powerful ideas, and fearless action. What’s one strong belief you possess that isn’t shared by your closest friends or family? What inspires this belief, and what have you done to actively live it?
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One strong belief that I alone share with myself? Honestly, it is my belief in myself. This is meant as no offense to any of my friends who do believe in me. This is no hit on anyone I know. But I believe in myself more than anyone else does. And, well, I SHOULD!
It is the nature of people around you to try to limit you. They often do not even know they are doing it, it is purely a defense mechanism on their. If I listened to every voice that told me I could not do something, or was incapable, or that chided me with an “I/We have heard that before” I would not have been able to accomplish anything. I am regaining my knowledge of this fact. It is an insidious infection that can seep into your spirit and poison your ability, your drive, your very passion and make it nearly impotent in your own life.
For me, myself, as a person, I have had to reclaim my faith in myself. I know I am on this earth to do something extraordinary, and have lived an amazing life. In recent years I did not live this belief as I should have, I did not strive and succeed as I know I should, I gave in to the poisons in my ear, and the fruits of this disbelief are slowly being rectified. I do not blame anyone other than myself. I cannot. I KNOW, I believe, I have utter faith that the talents I have, the mind I am gifted with, and the drive I had in my younger years are meant to be used to make a difference and impact the world. It is not ego, it is faith in me, belief I have the ability, and desire to help others and make the world better if only in my own little corner. It is a result of the knowledge that my life can be what I choose for it to be.
This is my belief. It is a strong belief I have had since I was a teenager that allowed me to, early in my life, be my own person, a true individual. I have dealt with the lack of faith in me others have had here and there all of my life. I have been the one who encouraged others and have not always had the same in return. I have been there for others, and found myself standing alone when the night was darkest in my life. There were times when I had to go it on my own in achieving since in my family I was the youngest, and I remember the eye rolls to things I would say I intended to do (or believed strongly), the doubt my sisters had when I would endeavor on new pursuits, the same skepticism and disrespect I would receive from their children. No matter how many times my advice, my pursuits, or my observations proved true…I was often ignored by family and friends alike. Yet I pushed forward though it was sometimes a lonely road. Everyone must push forward, and believe in themselves. I am reclaiming this…but it is MY strong belief. Mine, my own, my precious! As it should be!
I would hope everyone would realize their one strong belief should first be in themselves. Whether the belief is purely in yourself, or whether you believe your purpose and strength is a gift from God (God strengthens me), or if you just believe your strength comes from somewhere else more mysterious…belief that you have the strength is paramount to living an extraordinary life. I know I would not have done half of the things I have found the courage to do if not for this elementary core belief that, in the end, only I can have!
