Why do we make the choices we do? What makes some people persevere and take risks to achieve their goals while others seem stuck or locked into an unfulfilling position for years? Here is the answer, my friend: Your beliefs shape your life and behavior!

We become what we think about, what we wish we were; and when we’re possessed by an exciting goal, we reach it. It’s as simple as that! That is why it has been said: ‘Be choosy, therefore, of what you set your heart upon. For if you want it strongly enough, you will get it.’

Goals are the very basis of any success – the definition of success itself! Yet success does not lie in the achievement of a goal, but in the journey toward that goal. We are successful as long as we are working toward something we want to bring about in our lives. That’s when the human being is at his/her best.

Being successful is not a far off place. It’s even closer than we think if we have the mindset to see the opportunities to our best life. Being successful is not about making the right move every time; it’s about ‘maximizing’ those moves.

The first step in preparing for this ‘success voyage’ is believing in yourself; if you don’t think well of yourself, no one else will and you will surely miss some opportunities. So the way you feel about yourself matters and has a direct influence upon your success, which, as a result of a positive attitude, would enter your life easily and effortlessly from all around you. Wouldn’t we all like that? Just think about it!

Even though scientists have not completely figured out where thoughts come from, psychologists state that thoughts are generated by our beliefs. So, if you believe you are worthy of something, you will think thoughts to support that belief and draw it into your life.
You have to believe you deserve it, to feel worthy of success and welcome it into your life! Start making a plan, visualize it and verbalize your desire. Then, just as your thoughts and intentions call new opportunities you must be willing to act upon their arrival. Make a plan, include the necessary steps in achieving the success you desire and start moving to that direction! I know…this may imply serious changes in your daily routine, a certain amount of effort, maybe a series of things you have neither done before nor thought of. Are you getting nervous about it already? Come on! Be flexible and stay open, for as long as you believe you can do it, you will. You might even discover that your plans have been too small and life has something better in store for you. You are entitled to adjust your plan to the newly-encountered situation. Think even bigger! You know you are worthy of what you desire.

The feeling of worth is one of the foundations of a worthy self-esteem. When you feel you are worthy, you believe it is your right to be happy and get the reward that you deserve for your efforts. When your self worth is low, you may believe that you are not entitled to what is on offer and you may walk away from a life-changing opportunity and even let other people take advantage of you unfairly.

Self worth is a positive thing, which, of course, does not mean we are superior to other people and they must be eliminated from the competition of life. It is inwardly focused on us, it means we respect ourselves and deserve the respect of others, it means that our happiness or fulfillment is worth pursuing.

When you start believing in your potential, you can clearly get that vision of your future in the shape you really want it to be, because you know you deserve it, you are worthy of what’s best in this life.

You might ask yourselves: ‘How the heck are we supposed to get to believe we are worthy?’ Hello!... It is not quite a difficult process. We must simply start by doing an exercise. Write down a few things that you are either grateful for or proud of. They don’t have to be very big things, you may not have had the opportunity of proving to the world how special you are just yet, but you know it, you know there have been some moments in your life when you felt proud of something you said or did that reflected in other people’s eyes and those moments meant something to you and to others. Then think of other moments when you felt grateful for something that life (or somebody) had just offered you and - I assure you - they were not just ‘accidents’, you really deserved them, they were not gifts, but rewards for being yourself, saying or doing what you did.

With this ‘powerful’ list in your mind you will become aware of your value as a human being and start thinking even further and trying yourself much more, for the more you believe in yourself the more you are likely to prove you can do!

Looking back to the history of mankind, to the greatest leaders of nations who climbed the highest peaks that mortals could, we can draw this one very sane conclusion: They could not have achieved their goals in life unless they had strongly believed in their power to change things, to reach certain levels, unless they had seen themselves worthy of what they desired, worthy of success. You don’t have to be a leader to think big and move mountains for the sake of mankind; you must only think of yourself and what is best for you; set the appropriate goals ahead of you and start pursuing those goals believing that you can do IT! If you believe it, it will be!

To sum up, there are some basic elements that lead to the desired outcome: You, your plan or path, the actions and behavior and the goal itself.

The belief you will develop around each element will form a winning belief system that will empower you in achieving anything you really want in life. This is how to build unstoppable confidence and self-esteem. When we talk about the Law of Attraction, it all comes down to beliefs. When we talk about dreams, goals, independence, freedom, it all comes down to beliefs. If you truly believe in yourself, you can do ANYTHING!

About the Author

Sam Santiago, CTM is a speaker and trainer with Rising Above LLC, a training and development company which offers keynotes, on-site training, and executive coaching. He is a Certified Human Behavior Consultant in association with Personality Insights. Sam has been featured in Toastmaster Magazine and The Daily Record.

Sam is known for his communication skills and has been recognized as an award winning speaker by Toastmasters International where he achieved the designation of CTM, Competent Toastmaster. Sam’s passionate, relatable yet humorous style empowers people around the world to develop and improve their business, communication and leadership skills.

Sam has over 10 years experience as an Information Technology professional who has successfully bridged the gap between the traditional stereotypes of introverted IT geeks. He has provided computer consulting, leadership, and project management services to corporations, non-profit organizations, and small businesses.

From his real-life transformation from being a low paid blue-collar worker to highly paid white-collar Fortune 500 consultant, Sam shares success principles that will skyrocket your team’s productivity.

Sam Santiago’s powerful presentations continuously evolve to offer greater insights into enduring principles for understanding self and others.