Trust Your Own Beliefs
I have a favorite football team that I have rooted for since I was eight years old. Over the years that team has had championship moments and down moments. I have a great memory of many of their seasons, ones that started well and ended badly, and others where it looked like they were going to have a down year and it ended surprisingly well.
My personal schedule had not allowed me to watch my team on television their first few games. Therefore I was left to the accounts of others as to their progress. Knowing my team had made many changes to their players, coaches and approach to their strategy, I had expected they might start off slowly this season but improve as the year moved forward. However, everything that was being relayed to me by others was that only the worst of disasters was what was in store for them as they continued through the year.
I finally got a chance to sit down and watch my team a couple of nights ago. By now, I had expected they would be getting somewhat better. They would have had a number of training games and a couple of early season games to become accustomed to each other, the new approach to playing, etc. Their history was that even when it appeared things were going poorly they would still focus on the guidance of their coaches and incorporate it into their play. The night I watched my team played their best game of the year, and appears to be headed in the direction I thought they would.
Will my team have a successful season? I don’t know. It is still too early to tell. However, a lesson popped up to me while watching them play that I feel is so appropriate to those that I coach and meet. Only you are the best judge as to what is right for you in terms of the steps you take with your life, your job search, your family dynamics, your beliefs, whatever it is that is of importance and focus to you. This is an age of media overload. There are print and online articles, talk shows, podcasts, etc. sharing thought and opinion on one must do things one way or believe in something another way. I often hear from my job searchers, that they read articles that say they must ask these questions on an interview or their resume’ should be only so long or that they should only use this source or that source in conducting their search. And all I find the overload leads to is confusion, self-doubt and worry on one’s ability to make the best judgments for themselves.
Am I saying not to seek the opinions of others in helping you move forward in your life to achieve what it is you want? No, I am not. Especially, as one in a discipline where I share of myself in my writings, with my listening to others, offering input when asked, I’m not saying shut off everything. However, ultimately, don’t rely on others to make up your mind for you. Accepting the opinions of others as “your truth”, because they say it should be this way or that way, is devaluing your belief in yourself. And, when the information you receive is overwhelming you, TURN OFF THE CHANNEL. I often while driving will switch the radio station to music, or just off entirely, when the input gets overwhelming. Or put down that news source or article that is upsetting you and find something else to read or do.
I’ll know in about 3 months if my beliefs in my team are what I thought as they were preparing for this season. However, no matter what the outcome, they’ll be my beliefs and my judgments as to whether I was right and whether I was mistaken in terms of their chance for success. Put your chances for success into your beliefs for yourself.
