The best panoramic views are those attained by overcoming and conquering one’s fear of the dreaded, sweaty ascent to the summit. By further disregarding the (easy) short cut of means of transportation like cable railway, one gets to places from where fantastic views over the entire Lake and the surrounding mountain chains can be enjoyed – if one is prepared to go one step further.
What does this analogy have to do with one’s state of mind, you might ask yourself. Well, bear with me for a moment and let me tell you a little story.
Believe in yourself. The professor stood before his class of 30 senior molecular biology students, about to pass out the final exam. “I know how hard you have worked to prepare for this test” he said to them. “I am prepared to offer an automatic “B” to anyone who would prefer not to take the final.” The relief was audible as a number of students departed from class. Seven students remained. The professor closed the door and took attendance. Then he handed out the final exam. There were two sentences typed on the paper: “Congratulations, you have just received an “A” in this class. Keep believing in yourself.”
I never had a professor who gave a test like that. It may seem like the easy way of grading exams, but it’s a test that any teacher in any discipline could and should give. Students who don’t have confidence in what they’ve learned are “B” students at best. The “A” students are those who believe in what they’re doing because they’ve learned from both successes and failures. They’ve absorbed life’s lessons, and become better people.
Don’t let the biggest limit be yourself. Psychologists say that by the age of two, 50 percent of what we ever believe about ourselves has been formed; at eight years, 80 percent. Wouldn’t you love to have the energy and optimism of a little kid? There is nothing you couldn’t do or learn or be.
The brain always remembers that which is — or what you make — extraordinary.
Video: “Bend or Break” arm-wrestling at the funfair Parcour “NOW I WON” , installation by Swiss artist Claudia Comte for Art Basel show.
“To be is to do”—Socrates.
“To do is to be”—Jean-Paul Sartre.
“Do be do be do”—Frank Sinatra.
The words simply make me smile, time and again. Nonetheless, it seems that Socrates and Sartre (and Sinatra) where on to something:
To be is to embrace what we do;
To immerse in what we do is to seize opportunities to be;
And in harnessing the doing-being synergy, we, too, can do be do be do.
Angela is a Multilingual Communications Professional | Writer & Speaker | Managing Director | Entrepreneur
“Inspiring and empowering people is what I love doing, for I firmly believe everyone deserves to feel great at any time. Communication is my passion.” You can find her on Twitter @angelacarlucci