Anything Is Possible; If You BELIEVE

The power of the mind is so incredible. This is another one of those things that seems completely hokey, but it's true, and science can back me up on this one. I'm sure you've heard of the placebo effect, right? Sure you have, but for those that have no real knowledge or understanding on how clinical studies are carried out, let me take two seconds to explain...

The results of any clinical study are only as good as the study itself, and to truly know if a medication or procedure is effective you have to measure it against something. So for a study you might have Person A taking a medicated green pill orally and Person B will also be taking a green pill orally, yet their pill will contain no medicine – therefore making it a placebo. Now science has shown us that it is not uncommon for Person B to experience positive effects from their non-medicated pill, and this is the placebo effect.

Placebo Effect: the measurable, observable, or felt improvement in health or behavior not attributable to a medication or invasive treatment that has been administered. [from http://www.skepdic.com/placebo.html]

In essence, if Person B believes he is popping a pill that will make him better that belief may be all the medicine he needs. Weird, right? I know, but it's true and it doesn't stop there. It's just that medicine provides us with the most measurable occurrences, or at least it provides us with situations that others are more apt to believe themselves. When you see a cancer tumor shrink, you can't deny it. But that's no different from the athlete that breaks a world record. When asked how they did it, many respond, “I just believed I could.” For some reason that's a lot harder to wrap our minds around than a shrinking tumor. “You mean to tell me you leaped a tall building just because you believed you could??” They've got to be pulling your leg, right? Wrong. They're totally not. They're dead serious and they mean every syllable that they speak. If you want to get anything done, I don't care how large or how small the task is, it always begins with belief. And I gotta' tell ya'...I just about want to vomit right now for what I'm about to say, but I can't help myself and I'm gonna say it anyway. Sorry (don't say that I didn't apologize).

If you don't think you can do it, if anywhere in your mind and body you don't believe you have what it takes to get it done, if you have even the slightest bit of doubt – it wins, and it wins every time. And here goes the vomit inducing cliché: if you don't think you can, you are absolutely right. (Leave me alone, I apologized.)

Come on guys, it's this simple: YOU have to be your loudest cheerleader. YOU have to be your greatest advocate. YOU have to be the one singing your praises when no one else is. You just gotta'. If you don't believe in you why would anyone else? Honestly. And the first cousin of belief is confidence, but I won't have the time to get into that one today. Just know this (and you already know it): there is a reason why confident people seem to get whatever they want. There is a reason why confident people have no lack of friends. There is a reason why confident people are memorable. Confidence is magnetic, it's fun, it's attractive, and it's sexy. But here's the kicker, you don't get confidence without first having some belief. And I could type all day, but I won't. I just hope someone is hearing what I'm saying. If your nose isn't shaped quite right, if you're carrying a few extra pounds, if you're not as tall as you'd like to be, if everyday seems to be a bad hair day – own it. Own every single drop of it, and make it you. Quit hiding behind what you believe to be your flaws and turn those supposed inadequacies into your calling card. What's the worst thing that could happen? Someone might not like you? Someone might talk about you behind your back? Sorry to burst your bubble, genius, the haters are gonna do that regardless. So if you're gonna go out, go out believing that you're the shit and that you have what it takes to get the job done. Then walk with all the confidence in the world and watch what happens.

My name is Jasmynne Shaye, and this is me STEPPING ON A FEW TOES.

photo credit: http://msxml.excite.com/search/images?q=believe