What if I told you a story about a young man who ran for government office twelve times and lost?

How about a young, poor girl in Mississippi, who was sexually abused at the age of 9 and delivered a stillborn child after becoming pregnant at 14?

What about a young man raised by his widowed mother in near poverty in South Carolina, who became a prisoner of war at 13 and lost his both his mother and brother at age 14?

These people are Abraham Lincoln, Oprah Winfrey, and Andrew Jackson, respectively.

We often hear about another’s success as if it materialized out of thin air. We rarely hear of their earlier struggles. If you heard these stories without knowing who they were about, you probably would have said “That person has no shot at success.”

Many people perceive of their own life with obstacles to overcome and odds to beat. We ask “How can I start a business?”  “I don’t have enough experience.” “People don’t want to hear me talk about coaching.” “How I can raise my rates in this economy?”

But, this is only one way to think about it. In actuality, there is nothing to fight, nothing to defeat, nothing to rise above. The truth is we become what we believe, not what we wish for, but what we truly believe. Wherever you are in life, look at your beliefs. They put you there. The very things we perceive as obstacles do not matter as much as we think they do. This shift in perspective miraculously frees us to move forward with intent and power.

There is no struggle. Nothing to overcome. There are just your beliefs about it.

Your past doesn’t really matter.

Your current circumstances don’t really matter.

What people think and say doesn’t really matter.

What the voices of fear and doubt say to you do not really matter.

What you believe—now, that’s what matters!

We often have two competing voices in our mind; one is confident and one is scared. I know. I experience them! What are the things your fear tells you? I’m sure there are a lot of “what if’s” or “if only’s.” “If only I had more experience,” or “what if I don’t succeed?” or “if only I had more financial support”,” but what matters is who you are, in your core, and what you believe – these are the qualities and types of thoughts that will propel you forward in a spirit of creation.

So how do we overcome the “what if’s” and “if only’s”? Do we ignore our fears or pretend our doubts don’t exist? That clearly won’t work. The way to handle fear is to become conscious of it—acknowledge it—and move on. Realize the fear exists, and then refocus your thoughts. Give these thoughts as little energy as possible and give your beliefs this energy instead. It will propel you forward, instead of draining you. Each time these thoughts appear, let them go and refocus.

When I think from my core, from what I truly believe, I feel free, focused, and powerful, because I am coming from a place of authenticity and truth. This isn’t always easy, but it does get easier with practice! There have certainly been times when I’ve been creating a new curriculum, or learning skills that pushed my boundaries, where I have heard the voice of doubt.

There will always be many reasons why you shouldn’t attempt something. Any of them could stop you in your tracks and prevent you from fulfilling your vision of the future. Over time, I have learned to stick with what I believe and follow my vision, rather than let fear take hold.

What you believe is what will carry you to your future vision and make it your reality.

Your obstacles? They are what you make of them.

What would you attempt if the voices of doubt didn’t matter?

Copyright 2010 Paulette Rao, MCC                                                   All Rights Reserved

Paulette Rao, MCC is an executive coach, mentor coach, speaker, trainer, marketing expert, and founder of the Conscious Coaching Institute, which is dedicated to the training and development of coaches. Through her OneSource^TM and Conscious Marketing^TM training programs, Paulette helps coaches develop mastery, get credentialed, and create sustainable revenue doing what they love.

Paulette’s OneSource^TM course is a comprehensive ICF credentialing program aimed at assisting coaches in developing in the ICF competencies so they are superbly positioned to pass the ICF credentialing exam with confidence. Through Paulette’s Conscious Marketing^TM classes, she helps coaches gain the clarity and confidence to easily attract the clients they most want to work with to consistently make money doing what they love. More information about both programs, along with more information about Paulette, can be found at www.ConsciousCoachingInstitute.com.