Believe in Yourself

by Bo Bennett, DTM

I have a great idea for a reality TV show. We begin with 10 people who are successful in their fields, but not famous or even well-known. Dress them up in clothing a homeless person would wear, give them a new identity and a history of nothing more than a grade school formal education and a series of odd jobs, then drop each one of our "participants" off in a major US city. The goal is to a) stay in the game and not quit and b) to acquire as much wealth as possible by the end of the season (about 3 months). The rules are that the participants cannot reveal their true identity and they cannot accept help from anyone they know in their real lives. What an awesome show that would be. We would witness the human spirit in action as well as characteristics and qualities of truly successful individuals. How would you do as a participant on that show?

There are so many people who appear to be successful and happy, who are financially well off, yet live in a constant state of fear. This is the fear of financial loss, which is almost universal to all those who are new to wealth. What if I lose my job? What if the market crashes? What if my business fails? All of these "what ifs" conjure up unpleasant thoughts for just about everybody; but those who believe in themselves, in their abilities, talents, and determination, do not fear these potential unfortunate events. A common characteristic among successful people is their knowing that if they lost everything financially, in time they would get it all back and more.

Unless you are a lottery winner or an heir/heiress to a fortune, you have earned what you now have. You must believe that your success is not due to random luck, but is a result of the circumstances that you have created, or at least influenced in the past. Those who fall down and don't get back up are the ones who lack the self-confidence and belief that they are the reason for their success, and if needed, can do it all again.

Donald Trump is a man who proved that success is not in what you have, but in who you are. Here is a man with enough belief in himself to come back from being $900 million dollars in debt to net worth of over a billion dollars in a relatively short period of time. When disaster struck Donald, he did not resign himself to flipping burgers to "make ends meet". His strong self-image and belief in himself allowed him to get right back on top.

Fortunately, very few of us will ever be put to the test of such drastic misfortune. Your belief in yourself is like a no-cost insurance policy that will keep you from fear of financial loss and allow to you enjoy what you have earned. Your talent, abilities, determination, and your other characteristics have gotten you where you are today. Believe in yourself and enjoy success.