Believe In Yourself !

If you don't believe in yourself, how do you expect anyone else to believe in you ?

 Believe In Yourself!

It’s typically tough when you are surrounded by people who distrust your potential and who have already decided who and what you are. Whereas the terrible thing is that you start to agree with their assessment of yourself. I believe it’s a crime to do that to yourself, but it’s also an easy trap to fall into.

“Before you lay a foundation on the cricket field, there should be a solid foundation in your heart and you start building on that. After that as you start playing more and more matches, you learn how to score runs and how to take wickets.”

~ Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar

As a matter of fact, I am not a very die hard fan for reality shows but I do watch them occasionally whenever I get some free time (which I rarely get). Of late I was watching this dance reality show called ‘India’s Dancing Superstar’ judged by choreographers Geeta Kapoor, Ashley Lobo and actor Riteish Deshmukh. And there was one group of dancers ‘MJ 5’ which really amazed me for its ‘fantabulous’ performances every week. Suffice to say, every time I witnessed their creative acts, I fell in love with them. As a wide-eyed spectator watching their unbelievable dance moves, I felt too stunned to say anything. I still remember how I would get super excited like a little kid to watch them on my television screen. Yes, team MJ 5 went on to become the winner of the show with the cash prize of 50 lakh. The team has already made a mark in the film industry with an offer to choreograph for an animation movie. I really could not resist myself to probe a little more about these incredible guys on earth in order to know their winning formula. Thanks to professor Google, I was glad to make out their journey from ‘nobody to somebody’ and the rock solid faith in their abilities.  

MJ5 - comprises of Kartik, Shresh, Vishnu, Himanshu and Rohit - have named their group after King of Pop Michael Jackson. The group developed a unique identity while performing on the show with their signature dance moves. Now after their astounding win, they have become more popular. Earlier, there were only 260 likes on their Facebook page, but after people saw them on the show, they got more than 2 lakh likes (now 1.4 million and still counting). There was a time when they were competing one another at various DU college fests, and sometimes they would win and sometimes they would lose. Then they decided to come together to form a group and that is how they came collectively. When they told their friends and family that they wanted to participate in the show, “Unhe kaha gaya tha ki tumhara kuch nahi ho sakta hai iss show par.” (They were told that they would amount to nothing in the show). But it was their conviction that helped them perform amazingly well throughout the show and they never landed up in the danger zone. This story of these five performers with an extraordinary confidence compelled me to think of how important it is to ‘Believe in Oneself.’

They were told that they would amount to nothing in the show.

“Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.”

~ Saint Augustine

Often life poses difficult circumstances ahead of us where we have to choose our true path. And in such a situation, it is our belief that helps us sail across the ocean of doubt and dilemma. I am sure, it’s typically tough when you are surrounded by people who distrust your potential and who have already decided who and what you are. Whereas the terrible thing is that you start to agree with their assessment of yourself. I believe it’s a crime to do that to yourself, but it’s also an easy trap to fall into. Once you lose faith and drop your belief, even simple setbacks of life seem tougher than ever before. No wonder, there are people in life riding a good wave and the people who come off a wave. Life is like that only. It is your self belief that enables you to see the world of possibilities where there are no boundaries. There are times in your life when you feel low and out. You start feeling empty inside; there is this tiny voice in your head that looks for answers and makes you believe that you can get over anything on your own. In other words, possessing self belief is equal to half the battle won. 

There is a voice inside of you

That whispers all day long,

“I feel that this is right for me,

I know that this is wrong.”

No teacher, preacher, parent, friend

Or wise man can decide

What’s right for you - just listen to

The voice that speaks inside. 

~ Shel Silverstein

Born with spinal bifida, a rare disability, Ryan Chalmers spent his entire life getting around with the assistance of crutches or a wheelchair. He spent much of his childhood in a hospital but it was there that he was introduced to wheelchair athletics and he immediately fell in love with the sport. Chalmers decided to set off on a nearly 3,500-mile road trip across the country – starting in Los Angeles and finishing in New York’s Central Park – on his wheelchair. He spent as much as 10 hours a day pushing his chair. His feet were getting swollen some of the time, his hands were getting cut up with blisters – his knees were in pain, his back was in pain. His body wasn’t used to being in that racing chair that long. He then finished with 13 miles across the desert, while the temperature topped out at about 95-degrees. Those kinds of conditions were something Chalmers wasn’t very accustomed to. And completing roughly 50 miles a day, the Paralympian crossed 14 states in the hopes of inspiring others with disabilities.

“Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark.”

~ Rabindranath Tagore

Self belief proves you worthy of your due achievements. Some of the endeavors in your life could be easy to attempt but not necessarily easy to beat, whereas some deeds are difficult to even attempt and also difficult to beat. Danish freediver Stig Severinsen achieved a new World Record by swimming 250 feet (76.2 meters) underwater - without fins or even a wetsuit - below one-meter-thick ice on a single breath of air. Most centenarians find it difficult to walk but age did not slow down 102-year-old French cyclist Robert Marchand and he proved his mettle by riding almost 17 miles in an hour. Self believers are those individuals who are always ready to push their limits of what they can perform as per the best of their abilities. If they see the barriers, they immediately find ways to cut through them. We’re always fascinated by such people who are willing to dedicate themselves to achieving something truly remarkable. And again the magic trick is self belief.

Self-Belief is free to anyone who chooses to use it.

Have an unwavering desire to make your mark. Put in your best efforts. It’s no good to get swayed by other’s opinions. People may stick their finger in your face and tell you, “It’s not possible.” “It’s not easy anymore.” “It’s not in your reach.” “That’s way too impractical.” “That’s not a child’s play.” “You can’t make it.” Mind you, your inner voice rules everything and success comes to those who trust themselves. You must have huge amount of faith in yourself. Remember, the task ahead of you is not as great as the power within you. You achieve only when you believe. Don’t ever give up. Destroy your doubts. It doesn’t matter if you have the right tools with you or not. What matters most is to genuinely believe in yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself, how can you expect others to believe in you? It’s true that everything is not in your hands. Things don’t always move the way we want. Life is full of rejections. But do not let any rejection put you down. Self-Belief is free to anyone who chooses to use it. It comes from within. You cannot buy it, borrow it, steal it or sell it. It is always available to you and never wears out. The only choice you have to make is whether or not you use it.

So believe in yourself! Easily said, can be easily done too, Question is, do we want to?

If you liked this blog post and wish to share your experiences/ remarks/ views with me, you are most welcome. Write to me at pdpbygauravmisra@gmail.com. Like on facebook.com/PDP by Gaurav Misra. Follow on Twitter@pdpbygm.