Poetry in Motion--Believe You Can Fly

Like an eagle, I believe you were born to fly; like an eagle, I say, regal, up high.

You were made to reach the heights of your most cherished dreams; granted rights to soar on gossamer wings.

You were born to fly … there’s no doubt in my mind; the altitude possible is your challenge to find.

You can fly over oceans, make friends with the seas; feel close to Heaven, viewing tip tops of trees;

Visit stars allowing moonlight to show you the way; hitch rides on comets, and watch night turn to day.

Fly high, so high on your gossamer wings; prove that thoughts are crucial, your mindset, everything.

Clearing your flight path is what you now must do; change the dialogue of what you are saying to you.

Then you'll be ready, with faith, when you truly believe; there are no limits from on high, to what you can achieve.

Yes, you were born to fly. But, for your dreams to get the "big air" they need for altitude, you have to have confidence that you can do it. Having self-confidence means believing in yourself, and believing that you are able to accomplish what you set out to do. How confident are you in yourself, and in your abilities? Are you sure you are a person of value? Or is there a little voice sitting in the farthest corner of your mind, just waiting to tell you, during the times in your life when you most need to feel the most self-confidence, that you’re not all that? There is a saying that “you are what you eat,” and I believe it is true to some extent. But I know, it is also true that “you are what you think.”

Never underestimate the power of thoughts, or that of words. What you are thinking about you, and what you are saying to you, are the most accurate predictors of what you will achieve in your life.

Self-talk is not only the best way to heighten one’s self-esteem and self- confidence; it is really the only way to do it. And, everyone needs a strong sense of self-confidence. Why? Because believing in yourself and your abilities makes you a stronger, better version of you.

A self-confident person is less likely to make decisions based on what other people think of them; they are more likely to make decisions based on what they believe to be the right thing to do—even when others believe otherwise. A self-confident person will admit to making mistakes, and he or she will do everything possible to make sure they don’t reoccur. On the other hand, someone lacking or low in self-confidence might attempt to hide their mistakes, or they might blame others for their mistakes. Having self-confidence does not mean you are arrogant or that you are filled with false pride or bravado about yourself or about your abilities. Those things are usually covers for perceived weaknesses. Instead, self-confidence means you are willing to do the work that is necessary to acquire or refine your skills and abilities, and that you are willing to do the work that's needed to master or refine them, so that you can use them to achieve your goals.

Think about it. There are millions of experts, including psychologists, psychiatrists, and mental health specialists of all kinds, who know amazing therapies and highly effective ways to help you if you struggle with low self-esteem or if you lack confidence in yourself. However, it really does not matter what any of those people will ever say to you, even if you trust what they are saying, if you do not make the effort to change what you are saying to you. The help you can get from any type of therapy or expert ends, when self-talk begins. You have to help them (your therapist or any expert you go to for advice) help you, by monitoring your internal dialogue. You are the only person who can monitor your self-talk, to make sure it is saying something positive and uplifting. Only you can manage your bottom-line thoughts, and that will help you to better manage your emotions and your actions, so that you can move your life forward in a more successful way.

I believe it is best to think of negative thoughts and negative self-talk as a disease that must be contained or controlled in order to stop it from spreading and infecting or influencing positive thoughts. I am reminded of a passage from the Bible, found in Mark 23-24, that says, “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

The truth is we all face mountains of some sort, on a daily basis. But if we believe wholeheartedly, without a doubt, that we can and will move those mountains, or that we can climb over them or walk around them, then in our mind we have already triumphed over the mountain. The mountain can be anything, any type of obstacle—whether it’s a thing or a person or a predicament that threatens to keep you from achieving what you want or need to achieve. Overcoming your hindrance first has to take place within your mind. That is your first and most ominous mountain.

Once you overcome the mountain of doubt and disbelief that is in your mind and that is causing you not to believe you can remove the obstacle you want to remove, you will realize that all your mountains can be removed. By choosing to believe that you can do a thing, that you can climb over or go around any mountain that is in your way, you have already taken the first step in seeing it done.

In the final analysis, you are the only person who can take the power away from negative thoughts and negative self-talk. Ultimately, only you can help you lift your self-esteem, because no matter what anyone else thinks or says, to make a difference in your life, you are the person, ultimately, who has to believe in you. Believe you can fly. To lift your spirits and help you as you attempt to take wings, listen to "I Believe I Can Fly." No matter what you might think about the singer, the song is and will always be a good one, written and performed to perfection by R. Kelly.

If you liked this article, you may also want to read the following articles by Dr. Middlebrook:

How Mean Are You to You? Is Negative Self-Talk Poisoning Your Future?

Is Negative Self-Talk Another Form of Depression?

Obstacles, Mountains, Hurdles--All a Piece of Cake

Attitude is More Important Than You Think

Believe to Achieve--It is Possible