Let me begin by asking you a few questions: Do you know how to boil an egg? Can you change a flat tire on your car? Do you know how to wire an electric plug? Would you be able to clear a blocked drain? You may well be wondering why I'm asking you these things, but just bear with me. You see well into my late teens I was unable to answer "Yes" to any of those questions. I had great parents and they did just about everything for me. In fact they still would now if I let them! And I was certainly grateful! But it had it's downside as I'll explain.
I still lived with my parents when I first learned to drive and bought my first car. But having a car means you've got to look after it. The trouble was, because I had so many things done for me, and also when I was at school I had never had much interest in the practical subjects where you got your hands dirty, I really hadn't got a clue about auto maintenance.
But not to worry, Dad was always ready and willing to help. Until, that is, I got a puncture when I was on a remote road far from home. There were no mobile phones in those days so I couldn't call anyone. So it was simple; I could sit and wait for someone to come along and ask for help, or I could set about changing the wheel myself. No choice really, so I took a look at the owner's manual to see what I had to do and I did it.
And guess what? There really wasn't a problem and in a few short minutes I changed the wheel and was on my way. And I've done the same thing a number of times since. I also know how to boil an egg, wire an electric plug, and even unblock the drain. And lots more besides.
So what's that got to do with trust? Well simply I learned to trust myself to do those things. You see because I had always had things done for me and, when I watched others doing them, convinced myself that I wouldn't be able to do them, my subconscious mind believed me. When I struggled with the practical things at school it simply reinforced it.
My mind became conditioned to believe that I was not going to be able to do those tasks. But when it came to dealing with that puncture I had no choice. There were step by step instructions on what to do and I just had to get on with it. I had to override what my subconscious tried to tell me and trust myself to do it. Can you imagine how great I felt when I had completed the task successfully? And throughout my life I have learned to trust myself to do new things and take on challenges.
I trusted myself to become a successful presenter and public speaker, I trusted myself to go out and learn to sell to people at all levels, and I trusted myself to give up a well-paid job and start my own business. Just like the owner's manual told me how to change a wheel, I found out how to do the other things I've accomplished. The help, advice and instructions were always there. And the same is true for you! Don't be stopped from doing what you desire by your subconscious mind. You may well have become conditioned to believe that you cannot do things. You've probably come to believe you have your position in life and that wealth, happiness, financial freedom or maybe just a job you enjoy are beyond you.
But don't accept it. The opportunities are out there you just have to seek them out. But how do you take that first step? Simple, you must simply trust yourself!.
This article was written by Tony Hall who runs his own business dedicated to helping individuals develop their personal and business skills. You can learn more about how to develop your own life skills and get your complimentary copy of "The Process of Success" by signing up for his weekly newsletter at: http://www.selfimprovementskills.com/newsletter.html
