What do you believe in? Imagine yourself tethered to a lie detector machine. You must answer with a positive or negative response to the following questions: “Do you love your spouse? Are you a good parent? Are you an honest person? Does your company offer the best products in the market? Do you give great value to your customers?” How would you fare? Would you pass a lie detector test?

Think about it. There is a marked difference between the things we think we believe and the things we truly believe. Each day we fill our minds with details about our wonderful personal lives, our successful companies, our abilities as professionals and our desires to work toward and achieve our goals in life. Would these things — these beliefs — we tell ourselves stand up to the test of the standard-grade lie detector test if we believe them to be true in our hearts?

Positive thinking in any situation offers many benefits in any given situation, but only if you wholeheartedly believe the words you are speaking. Statements and affirmations about anything in life have virtually no meaning without true belief. Think back to the days when most believed the world was flat. What courage it must have taken to stand up against the masses and announce that the world was, in fact, round. Without belief, these things we think we believe about ourselves are nothing more than idle words.

To understand true belief, look into the eyes of 6-year-olds and ask them what Santa Claus is bringing them this year for Christmas. You’ll see their eyes light up as they tell you about the newest toy or video that they asked Santa for this year. They may even have a picture cut out of a catalog nearby as they eagerly count down the days until Christmas morning. What will grab your attention the most is the look in their eyes — the look of a true believer.

Ask yourself:  Do you have that same look when you review your business strategy for the following year? Do you have butterflies of belief in your belly when telling yourself you are a strong and capable professional? Do you smile in anticipation when you think of what the future holds?

There is magic in the air during the holiday season. If you are going to ask for a gift this year, let it be the gift of true belief. Begin to put some muscle behind your goals and aspirations by converting idle words into true belief with all of the resources and tools at your disposal. Begin as a child would. Make a list of all the things you want and need. As you write, take the list a step further. Cut out pictures of the things and situations you are going to facilitate over the coming weeks and months. Post these things around you so you see them and are visually reminded of what you are trying to accomplish.

Idle words and visual cues are powerless unless underwritten with strong faith and belief.

You have succeeded when you can gaze into a mirror and say aloud, with conviction, the words you believe to be true. You will know you have succeeded when you can look others straight in the eye and state your name with confidence. You will know you have succeeded when you can walk happily through your door at the end of the day, knowing more happiness waits.

Tom Richard is a Toledo-based sales trainer, gives seminars, runs sales meetings and provides coaching for salespeople. For more information, visit www.TomRichard.com, call (419) 441-1005 or e-mail tom@tomrichard.com.

This entry was posted on Friday, December 12th, 2008 at 12:00 am and is filed under Selling Points, Toledo Business Link.
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