Overcoming Your Doubts To Achieve The Impossible

Consider the following quote:

“You have no idea what it is like when not a soul on earth encourages you…I would give anything if I had someone, even though they did not mean it or believe it, to tell me that they KNEW I COULD SUCCEED” (emphasis in the original).

The man who wrote this struggled for many years to believe in himself. He had a simple idea; he wanted to communicate the straight forward and powerful secrets of success.

Eventually he would be commissioned by the world’s richest man to interview hundreds of prosperous businessmen to understand how they achieved their dreams.

He would take their wisdom and put it into a book that continues to be a bestseller today, many decades later. His name is Napoleon Hill, and the book is Think and Grow Rich. But he was not alone in his struggles.

Another man wanted to discuss spirituality and faith in an easy to understand manner. Though he would often speak to thousands of people at a time and countless people looked up to him for encouragement, he had to dig deep inside himself to find the confidence to do public speaking, as he wrestled for many years with low self-esteem.

Once he finished the book he dreamed of writing about faith, he was certain no one would read it, so he threw the manuscript in the trash. His wife found the papers in the garbage and sent them to an editor. The book would go through over two dozen printings and was called, A Guide to Confident Living.

You may not recognize the title; it was not as popular as his world famous work which would come later, The Power of Positive Thinking. As you have no doubt ascertained, the man in question is none other than Norman Vincent Peale, whose books have touched millions of lives and encouraged countless people to live with gratitude and a sense of expectation and adventure as they daily choose positive thoughts.

So wherever you find yourself today on the journey towards your dream, know that you are not alone in your struggle. If you feel like giving up, understand that anyone who ever achieved anything great felt like giving up too. If you wrestle with discouragement, know that millions of others do as well as they seek to reach their full potential.

In short, it is normal to want to quit. The important thing is to push forward in those moments knowing they help you grow. Keep believing in your dreams, and if you find someone else who believes along with you, then give thanks, you have something precious indeed!