Some time ago I was privileged to read some very vital information and one of the most important things the information delivered was in the form of a test.

It went something to the effect of giving points to the people in your life and then adding up the points based upon a scale to see if the people we limiting you or benefiting you.

I am going to dig this test out and review it.

Any how your post rings so very true. It coincides deeply with the headline "They all laughed when..."

It is so verty difficult for people, these days and in these times, to muster up any reasonable belief in themselves.

It is much easier to believe in others and to believe in inanimate objects. Belief in oneself, seems difficult, mainly because it means we must
take responsibility for ourselves and our actions.

Noit many people want that responsibility as can be seen from the various news episodes dealing with various acts of violence and crime.

Taking responsibility for ourselves is the highest form of self-respect, IMHO.

I can ramble on and on about this but I just really wanted to say, Thank you for the post and the message.

Taylor

> Have you ever heard of someone who aims to
> make $100, and ends up making $1000 instead?

> Well, it does happen....

> But someone who AIMS to make $1000 from the
> start is MUCH MORE likely to make that $1000
> than someone who only aims for $100....

> The sky is the limit.... Don't settle for a
> few peanuts when you can have big, ripe,
> juicy watermelons!

> (Or insert your own favorite fruit or nut!)

> What you think of yourself, you ARE..... If
> you think you're able to achieve great
> things, you CAN... But if you don't believe
> that, then you can't.... The key is getting
> yourself to the stage when you believe that
> you really CAN... And being PERSISTENT....

> Then things can start to hapen!

> I've always believed in myself.... I
> believed I could get a Ph.D. I believed I
> could get PAID trips to the USA from
> Australia -- and I have, every year since
> 1997 I've traveled to the USA and got PAID
> for it too, as part of being an academic....

> And I have great belief in my business
> abilities....

> How do you keep belief in yourself up? One
> important factor is the people who you
> surround yourself with....

> Are your friends building you up, or tearing
> you down?

> You'll find that many people mean well, but
> they think it is a favor to you to tell you
> why you CAN'T do this, why you CAN'T do
> that, why you CAN'T make this much money,
> why you CAN'T CAN'T CAN'T....

> They'll say they are being
> "realists" -- but really they are
> being pessimists, but they don't know it...

> Their intentions are probably good, in many
> cases... But they don't realize that they
> are actually harming you more than helping
> you... They are eating away at your
> confidence...

> However, you'll find that there are other
> people who will help BUILD UP your
> confidence. These are the optimistic
> types...

> These kinds of people will help to explain
> to you that you CAN achieve what you set out
> to achieve....

> It is certainly possible....

> I've been a life-long student of success
> principles. For most of these past years,
> I've applied them to my academic career and
> to my physics research....

> And they work. After I finished my Ph.D., I
> won something called the "Mollie
> Holman Medal" from my university --
> the award for the BEST Ph.D. in the SCIENCE
> faculty....

> And I studied at Monash University, the
> biggest university in Australia in terms of
> number of students.... So there was LOTS of
> competition for that Medal....

> However, I've found that academia is not
> what I really want to do with my life... I
> still love my physics research work (and I'm
> continuing it), but academia is too
> limiting....

> And through the power of BELIEF I'm going to
> transform things into an incredible and some
> might say revolutionary direction in my
> life... I can see it happening before me...
> The pieces are all coming together.... :)

> However, I don't really want to talk about
> me.... The point is it can happen for YOU
> too.... BELIEF in yourself, CONFIDENCE in
> your abilities and capacity for learning,
> and dogged PERSISTENCE will get you there!

> I've used these principles in my physics
> career, with great success... So I know they
> work.... :)

> I know it's sometimes easier to say than
> do... But make it easier on yourself, and
> surround yourself with those who will boost
> your CONFIDENCE, not those who will eat it
> up and take it away.... And you'll find
> incredible things happening, sometimes
> beyond your expectations! :)

> Dien Rice

> P.S. Here's a little secret... I never
> planned to get the "Mollie Holman
> Medal" for my Ph.D..... It was one of
> those things which EXCEEDED my expectations.
> But that just shows you the incredible POWER
> of belief, confidence, and persistence!