I would argue that the concept of self belief is one of the constant and most important touchstones in my life and has definitely kept me afloat during the many times of stormy weather.  Our ability to believe in ourselves when everything is not going out way, is, in my mind one of the most important traits we can possess.

I would argue that there is few things less powerful that a person who is 100% committed and believes in themselves. A great case in point was when I was starting my own business back in 2014.

After developing my business plan I shared it with a few people who I valued at the time as trusted advisors. Almost to a person they said that it would never work… “You’re trying to do too many things.. you can only be one thing”…

As you may expect I was disappointed with the feedback and for a split second even thought about adjusting my plan. Yeah, that phase passed pretty quickly. ๐Ÿ™‚

I realized that if I was going to make this work, then I would have to work incredibly hard to push all facets of my business and not just one. And, not just initially, but all the time. This was going to be a monumental task, but I was definitely up for the challenge.

Fortunately for me it was a great acid test and one that to this day I still value, because deep in my heart I knew that this was my path toward the life I’d always wanted.

The reality is that there is a fine line between self belief and the confidence in your abilities that it drives and over confidence.

Self belief must be supported by focus, perseverance and hard work to be successful. Without these other aspects then you’re placing yourself in danger of over confidence and possible failure.

Here’s where it get interesting…

For many people who have never had their own business it can be a bit of a shock in that the lines are blurred between working and all the other parts of your life. To be clear there is no 9:00 – to 5:00 job anymore. You’re on all the time.

There is no question that it takes a lot of energy and stick-to-it-iv-ness initially, but once you get in the groove and reshape your life to accommodate your new reality then things settle down relatively fast.

People often ask me how I balance all the aspects of my life and business into what seemingly looks like a perfect life.

Well, let’s be clear…there is no perfect life. ๐Ÿ™‚

Second, no one gets to see all of the hours I work – just the outcomes. Yes, I work hard; I write everyday, always have my camera with me and continually seek places to tell my story, but for the most part you mostly see me travelling the world and exploring. ๐Ÿ™‚

Ultimately, it’s about showing up everyday – no matter what, even the days when you don’t feel like it or need a break. I always try and focus on the big picture and how, where and when I want to live my life.

Interestingly, most people don’t think about the “when” I want to live my life. For me it’s an everyday proposition, however for many its “when I retire”, or “when I have enough money”…

As I’ve said many times before, there are no guarantees to life, so I choose to live everyday to the fullest – starting with today!

This lifestyle is not for the faint of heart…

There are definitely times when you question your sanity, but I’ve found that the freedom and overall enjoyment of my life far outweighs those times, yep by a country mile! ๐Ÿ™‚

The most difficult part is figuring out what you’re good at and getting to the point where you’re able to build a life around it. There will always be the unknowns…and this is where you have to take to leap of faith and test your self belief to the fullest.

Actually, saying it out loud and leaving what you’re comfortable with to pursue your dreams, passions and calling will be your most challenging hurdle to overcome.

All I can say is that you have the courage and self belief to make that move so that you can create the life you want. I’m living proof of that. ๐Ÿ™‚

One of the big outcomes for me is to travel and explore the world. My upcoming trip to Italy in October will be my sixth big trip of the year…not meant to boast but it’s the life I’ve been able to create for myself which allows me to follow my passions and do the things I love. A self fulfilling prophecy if your will.

You can do it too!

I’ll leave you with one of my favourite quotes, this one is from Henry Ford “whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right”

Until next week

Ciao!