Believe In Yourself

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF! Have faith in your abilities!

Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own

powers you cannot be successful or happy. But with sound

self-confidence you can succeed. A sense of inferiority and

inadequacy interferes with the attainment of your hopes, but

self-confidence leads to self-realization and successful

achievement. Because of the importance of this mental

attitude, this book will help you believe in yourself and

release your inner powers.

It is appalling to realize the number of pathetic people who

are hampered and made miserable by the malady popularly

called the inferiority complex. But you need not suffer from

this trouble. When proper steps are taken, it can be

overcome. You can develop creative faith in yourself—faith

that is justified.

After speaking to a convention of businessmen in a city

auditorium, I was on the stage greeting people when a man

approached me and with a peculiar intensity of manner

asked, "May I talk with you about a matter of desperate

importance to me?"

I asked him to remain until the others had gone, then we

went backstage and sat down.

"I'm in this town to handle the most important business deal

of my life," he explained. "If I succeed, it means everything

to me. If I fail, I'm done for."

I suggested that he relax a little, that nothing was quite that

final. If he succeeded, that was fine. If he didn't, well,

tomorrow was another day.

"I have a terrible disbelief in myself," he said dejectedly. "I

have no confidence. I just don't believe I can put it over. I am

very discouraged and depressed. In fact," he lamented, "I'm

just about sunk. Here I am, forty years old. Why is it that all

my life I have been tormented by inferiority feelings, by lack

of confidence, by self-doubt? I listened to your speech

tonight in which you talked about the power of positive

thinking, and I want to ask how I can get some faith in

myself."

"There are two steps to take," I replied. "First, it is important

to discover why you have these feelings of no power. That

requires analysis and will take time. We must approach the

maladies of our emotional life as a physician probes to find

something wrong physically. This cannot be done

immediately, certainly not in our brief interview tonight, and

it may require treatment to reach a permanent solution. But

to pull you through this immediate problem I shall give you a

formula which will work if you use it.

"As you walk down the street tonight I suggest that you

repeat certain words which I shall give you. Say them over

several times after you get into bed. When you awaken

tomorrow, repeat them three times before arising. On the

way to your important appointment say them three additional

times. Do this with an attitude of faith and you will receive

sufficient strength and ability to deal with this problem.

Later, if you wish, we can go into an analysis of your basic

problem, but whatever we come up with following that

study, the formula which I am now going to give you can be

a large factor in the eventual cure."

Following is the affirmation which I gave him—"I can do all

things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Philippians

4:13) He was unfamiliar with these words so I wrote them on

a card and had him read them over three times aloud.

"Now, follow that prescription, and I am sure things will come out all right."

He pulled himself up, stood quietly for a moment, then said

with considerable feeling, "O.K., Doctor. O.K."

I watched him square his shoulders and walk out into the

night. He seemed a pathetic figure, and yet the way he

carried himself as he disappeared showed that faith was

already at work in his mind.

Subsequently he reported that this simple formula "did

wonders" for him and added, "It seems incredible that a few

words from the Bible could do so much for a person."

This man later had a study made of the reasons for his

inferiority attitudes. They were cleared away by scientific

counseling and by the application of religious faith. He was

taught how to have faith; was given certain specific

instructions to follow (these are given later in this chapter).

Gradually he attained a strong, steady, reasonable

confidence. He never ceases to express amazement at the

way in which things now flow toward rather than away from

him. His personality has taken on a positive, not negative,

character so that he no longer repels success, but, on the

contrary, draws it to him. He now has an authentic

confidence in his own powers.

There are various causes of inferiority feelings, and not a few

stem from childhood.

An executive consulted me about a young man whom he

wished to advance in his company. "But," he explained, "he

cannot be trusted with important secret information and I'm

sorry, for otherwise I would make him my administrative

assistant. He has all the other necessary qualifications, but he

talks too much, and without meaning to do so divulges

matters of a private and important nature."

Upon analysis I found that he "talked too much" simply

because of an inferiority feeling. To compensate for it he

succumbed to the temptation of parading his knowledge.

He associated with men who were rather well to do, all of

whom had attended college and belonged to a fraternity. But

this boy was reared in poverty, had not been a college man or

fraternity member. Thus he felt himself inferior to his

associates in education and social background. To build

himself up with his associates and to enhance his self-

esteem, his subconscious mind, which always seeks to

provide a compensatory mechanism, supplied him with a

means for raising his ego.

He was on "the inside" in the industry, and accompanied his

superior to conferences where he met outstanding men and

listened to important private conversations. He reported just

enough of his "inside information" to cause his associates to

regard him with admiration and envy. This served to elevate

his self esteem and satisfy his desire for recognition.

When the employer became aware of the cause of this

personality trait, being a kindly and understanding man, he

pointed out to the young man the opportunities in business to

which his abilities could lead him. He also described how his

inferiority feelings caused his unreliability in confidential

matters. This self-knowledge, together with a sincere

practicing of the techniques of faith and prayer, made him a

valuable asset to his company. His real powers were

released.

I can perhaps illustrate the manner in which many youngsters

acquire an inferiority complex through the use of a personal

reference. As a small boy I was painfully thin. I had lots of

energy, was on a track team, was healthy and hard as nails,

but thin. And that bothered me because I didn't want to be

thin. I wanted to be fat. I was called "skinny," but I didn't

want to be called "skinny." I wanted to be called "fat." I longed to be hard-boiled and tough and fat. I did everything

to get fat. I drank cod-liver oil, consumed vast numbers of

milk shakes, ate thousands of chocolate sundaes with

whipped cream and nuts, cakes and pies innumerable, but

they did not affect me in the slightest. I stayed thin and lay

awake nights thinking and agonizing about it. I kept on

trying to get heavy until I was about thirty, when all of a

sudden did I get heavy? I bulged at the seams. Then I

became self conscious because I was so fat, and finally had

to take off forty pounds with equal agony to get myself down

to respectable size.

In the second place (to conclude this personal analysis which

I give only because it may help others by showing how this

malady works), I was a minister's son and was constantly

reminded of that fact. Everybody else could do everything,

but if I did even the slightest little thing—"Ah, you are a

preacher's son." So I didn't want to be a preacher's son, for

preachers' sons are supposed to be nice and namby-pamby. I

wanted to be known as a hard-boiled fellow. Perhaps that is

why preachers' sons get their reputation for being a little

difficult, because they rebel against having to carry the

banner of the church all the time. I vowed there was one

thing I would never do, and that was to become a preacher.

Also, I came of a family practically every member of which

was a performer in public, a platform speaker, and that was

the last thing I wanted to be. They used to make me get up in

public to make speeches when it scared me to death, even

filled me with terror. That was years ago, but the twinge of it

comes to me every now and then when I walk onto a

platform. I had to use every known device to develop

confidence in what powers the good Lord gave me.

I found the solution of this problem in the simple techniques

of faith taught in the Bible. These principles are scientific

and sound and can heal any personality of the pain of nferiority feelings. Their use can enable the sufferer to find

and release the powers which have been inhibited by a

feeling of inadequacy.

Such are some of the sources of the inferiority complex

which erect power barriers in our personalities. It is some

emotional violence done to us in childhood, or the

consequences of certain circumstances, or something we did

to ourselves. This malady arises out of the misty past in the

dim recesses of our personalities.

Perhaps you had an older brother who was a brilliant student.

He got A's in school; you made only C's, and you never

heard the last of it. So you believed that you could never

succeed in life as he could. He got A's and you got C's, so

you reasoned that you were consigned to getting C's all your

life.

Apparently you never realized that some of those who failed

to get high grades in school have been the greatest successes

outside of school. Just because somebody gets an A in

college doesn't make him the greatest man in the United

States, because maybe his A's will stop when he gets his

diploma, and the fellow who got C's in school will go on

later to get the real A's in life.

The greatest secret for eliminating the inferiority complex,

which is another term for deep and profound self doubt, is to

fill your mind to overflowing with faith. Develop a

tremendous faith in God and that will give you a humble yet

soundly realistic faith in yourself.

The acquiring of dynamic faith is accomplished by prayer,

lots of prayer, by reading and mentally absorbing the Bible

and by practicing its faith techniques. In another chapter I

deal with specific formulas of prayer, but I want to point out

here that the type of prayer that produces the quality of faith

required to eliminate inferiority is of a particular nature. Surface skimming, formalistic and perfunctory prayer is not

sufficiently powerful.

A wonderful colored woman, a cook in the home of friends

of mine in Texas, was asked how she so completely mastered

her troubles. She answered that ordinary problems could be

met by ordinary prayers, but that "when a big trouble comes

along, you have to pray deep prayers."

One of my most inspiring friends was the late Harlowe B.

Andrews of Syracuse, New York, one of the best

businessmen and competent spiritual experts I ever knew. He

said the trouble with most prayers is that they aren't big

enough, "To get anywhere with faith," said he, "learn to pray

big prayers. God will rate you according to the size of your

prayers." Doubtless he was right, for the Scriptures say,

"According to your faith be it unto you." (Matthew 9:29) So

the bigger your problem, the bigger your prayer should be.

Roland Hayes, the singer, quoted his grandfather to me, a

man whose education was not equal to that of his grandson,

but whose native wisdom was obviously sound. He said,

"The trouble with lots of prayers is they ain't got no suction."

Drive your prayers deep into your doubts, fears, inferiorities.

Pray deep, big prayers that have plenty of suction and you

will come up with powerful and vital faith.

Go to a competent spiritual adviser and let him teach you

how to have faith. The ability to possess and utilize faith and

gain the release of powers it provides are skills and, like any

skills, must be studied and practiced to gain perfection.

At the conclusion of this chapter are listed ten suggestions

for overcoming your inferiority pattern and for developing

faith. Practice these rules diligently and they will aid you in

developing confidence in yourself by dissipating your

feelings of inferiority, however deeply imbedded.

At this point, however, I wish to indicate that to build up

feelings of self confidence the practice of suggesting

confidence concepts to your mind is very effective. If your

mind is obsessed by thoughts of insecurity and inadequacy it

is, of course, due to the fact that such ideas have dominated

your thinking over a long period of time. Another and more

positive pattern of ideas must be given the mind, and that is

accomplished by repetitive suggestion or confidence ideas.

In the busy activities of daily existence thought disciplining

is required if you are to re-educate the mind and make of it a

power-producing plant. It is possible, even in the midst of

your daily work, to drive confident thoughts into

consciousness. Let me tell you about one man who did so by

the use of a unique method.

One icy winter morning he called for me at a hotel in a

Midwestern city to take me about thirty-five miles to another

town to fill a lecture engagement. We got into his car and

started off at a rather high rate of speed on the slippery road.

He was going a little faster than I thought reasonable, and I

reminded him that we had plenty of time and suggested that

we take it easy.

"Don't let my driving worry you," he replied. "I used to be

filled with all kinds of insecurities myself, but I got over

them. I was afraid of everything. I feared an automobile trip

or an airplane flight; and if any of my family went away I

worried until they returned. I always went around with a

feeling that something was going to happen, and it made my

life miserable. I was saturated with inferiority and lacked

confidence. This state of mind reflected itself in my business

and I wasn't doing very well. But I hit upon a wonderful plan

which knocked all these insecurity feelings out of my mind,

and now I live with a feeling of confidence, not only in

myself but in life generally."

This was the "wonderful plan." He pointed to two clips fastened on the instrument panel of the car just below the

windshield and, reaching into the glove compartment, took

out a pack of small cards. He selected one and slipped it

beneath the clip. It read, "If ye have faith...nothing shall be

impossible unto you." (Matthew 17:20) He removed that

one, shuffled expertly through the cards with one hand as he

drove, selected another, and placed it under the clip. This one

read, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans

8:31)

"I'm a traveling salesman," he explained, "and I drive around

all day calling on my customers. I have discovered that while

a man drives he thinks all kinds of thoughts. If his pattern of

thought is negative, he will think many negative thoughts

during the day and that, of course, is bad for him; but that is

the way I used to be. I used to drive around all day between

calls drinking fear and defeat thoughts, and incidentally that

is one reason my sales were down. But since I have been

using these cards as I drive and committing the words to

memory, I have learned to think differently. The old

insecurities that used to haunt me are just about all gone, and

instead of drinking fear thoughts of defeat and

ineffectiveness, 1 think thoughts of faith and courage. It is

really wonderful the way this method has changed me. It has

helped in my business, too, for how can one expect to make a

sale if he drives up to a customer's place of business thinking

he is not going to make a sale?"

This plan used by my friend is a very wise one. By filling his

mind with affirmations of the presence, support, and help of

God, he had actually changed his thought processes. He put

an end to the domination of his long held sense of insecurity.

His potential powers were set free.

We build up the feeling of insecurity or security by how we

think. If in our thoughts we constantly fix attention upon

sinister expectations of dire events that might happen, the result will be constantly to feel insecure. And what is even

more serious is the tendency to create, by the power of

thought, the very condition we fear. This salesman actually

created positive results by vital thoughts of courage and

confidence through the process of placing the cards before

him in his car. His powers, curiously inhibited by a defeat

psychology, now flowed out of a personality in which

creative attitudes had been stimulated.

Lack of self-confidence apparently is one of the great

problems besetting people today. In a university a survey

was made of six hundred students in psychology courses.

The students were asked to state their most difficult personal

problem. Seventy-five percent listed lack of confidence. It

can safely be assumed that the same large proportion is true

of the population generally. Everywhere you encounter

people who are inwardly afraid, who shrink from life, who

suffer from a deep sense of inadequacy and insecurity, who

doubt their own powers. Deep within themselves they

mistrust their ability to meet responsibilities or to grasp

opportunities. Always they are beset by the vague and

sinister fear that something is not going to be quite right.

They do not believe that they have it in them to be what they

want to be, and so they try to make themselves content with

something less than that of which they are capable.

Thousands upon thousands go crawling through life on their

hands and knees, defeated and afraid. And in most cases such

frustration of power is unnecessary.

The blows of life, the accumulation of difficulties, the

multiplication of problems tend to sap energy and leave you

spent and discouraged. In such a condition the true status of

your power is often obscured, and a person yields to a

discouragement that is not justified by the facts. It is vitally

essential to re-appraise your personality assets. When done

in an attitude of reasonableness, this evaluation will convince

you that you are less defeated than you think you are.

For example, a man fifty-two years of age consulted me. He

was in great despondency. He revealed utter despair. He said

he "was all through." He informed me that everything he had

built up over his lifetime had been swept away.

"Everything?" I asked.

"Everything," he repeated. He was through, he reiterated. "I

have nothing left at all. Everything is gone. There is no hope,

and I am too old to start all over again. I have lost all faith."

Naturally I felt sympathetic toward him, but it was evident

that his chief trouble was the fact that dark shadows of

hopelessness had entered his mind and discolored his

outlook, distorting it. Behind this twisted thinking his true

powers had retreated, leaving him without force.

"So," I said, "suppose we take a piece of paper and write

down the values you have left."

"There's no use," he sighed. "I haven't a single thing left. I

thought I told you that."

I said, "Let's just see anyway." Then asked, "Is your wife still

with you?"

"Why, yes, of course, and she is wonderful. We have been

married for thirty years. She would never leave me no matter

how bad things are."

"All right, let us put that down—your wife is still with you

and she will never leave you no matter what happens. How

about your children? Got any children?"

"Yes," he replied, "I have three and they are certainly

wonderful. I have been touched by the way they have come

to me and said, 'Dad, we love you, and we'll stand by you.' "

"Well, then," I said, "that is number two—three children who love you and who will stand by you. Got any friends?" I

asked.

"Yes," he said, "I really have some fine friends. I must admit

they have been pretty decent. They have come around and

said they would like to help me, but what can they do? They

can't do anything."

"That is number three—you have some friends who would

like to help you and who hold you in esteem. How about

your integrity? Have you done anything wrong?"

"My integrity is all right," he replied. "I have always tried to

do the right thing and my conscience is clear."

"All right," I said, "we will put that down as number four—

integrity. How about your health?"

"My health is all right," he answered. "I have had very few

sick days and I guess I am in pretty good shape physically."

"So let's put down as number five—good physical health.

How about the United States? Do you think it's still doing

business and is the land of opportunity?"

"Yes," he said. "It is the only country in the world I would

want to live in."

"That is number six—you live in the United States, land of

opportunity, and you are glad to be here." Then I asked,

"How about your religious faith? Do you believe in God and

that God will help you?"

"Yes," he said. "I do not think I could have gotten through

this at all if I hadn't had some help from God."

"Now," I said, "let's list the assets we have figured out:

"1. A wonderful wife—married for thirty years.

"2. Three devoted children who will stand by you.

"3. Friends who will help you and who hold you in esteem.

"4. Integrity—nothing to be ashamed of.

"5. Good physical health.

"6. Live in the United States, the greatest country in the

world.

"7. Have religious faith."

I shoved it across the table at him. "Take a look at that. I

guess you have quite a total of assets. I thought you told me

everything had been swept away."

He grinned ashamedly. "I guess I didn't think of those things.

I never thought of it that way. Perhaps things aren't so bad at

that," he said pensively. "Maybe I can start all over again if I

can just get some confidence, if I can get the feel of some

power within me."

Well, he got it, and he did start all over again. But he did so

only when he changed his viewpoint, his mental attitude.

Faith swept away his doubts, and more than enough power to

overcome all his difficulties emerged from within him.

This incident illustrates a profound truth which is expressed

in a very important statement made by the famous

psychiatrist, Dr. Karl Menninger. He said, "Attitudes are

more important than facts." That is worth repeating until its

truth grips you. Any fact facing us, however difficult, even

seemingly hopeless, is not so important as our attitude

toward that fact. How you think about a fact may defeat you

before you ever do anything about it. You may permit a fact

to overwhelm you mentally before you start to deal with it

actually. On the other hand, a confident and optimistic

thought pattern can modify or overcome the fact altogether.

I know a man who is a tremendous asset to his organization,

not because of any extraordinary ability, but because he

invariably demonstrates a triumphant thought pattern. Perhaps his associates view a proposition pessimistically, so

he employs what he calls "the vacuum-cleaner method." That

is, by a series of questions he "sucks the dust" out of his

associates' minds; he draws out their negative attitudes. Then

quietly he suggests positive ideas concerning the proposition

until a new set of attitudes gives them a new concept of the

facts.

They often comment upon how different facts appear when

this man "goes to work on them." It's the confidence attitude

that makes the difference, nor does this rule out objectivity in

an appraisal of facts. The inferiority complex victim sees all

facts through discolored attitudes. The secret of correction is

simply to gain a normal view, and that is always slanted on

the positive side.

So if you feel that you are defeated and have lost confidence

in your ability to win, sit down, take a piece of paper and

make a list, not of the factors that are against you, but of

those that are for you. If you or I or anybody think constantly

of the forces that seem to be against us, we will build them

up into a power far beyond that which is justified. They will

assume a formidable strength which they do not actually

possess. But if, on the contrary, you mentally visualize and

affirm and reaffirm your assets and keep your thoughts on

them, emphasizing them to the fullest extent, you will rise

out of any difficulty regardless of what it may be. Your inner

powers will reassert themselves and, with the help of God,

lift you from defeat to victory.

One of the most powerful concepts, one which is a sure cure

for lack of confidence, is the thought that God is actually

with you and helping you. This is one of the simplest

teachings in religion, namely, that Almighty God will be

your companion, will stand by you, help you, and see you

through. No other idea is so powerful in developing self

confidence as this simple belief when practiced. To practice it simply affirm "God is with me; God is helping me; God is

guiding me." Spend several minutes each day visualizing His

presence. Then practice believing that affirmation. Go about

your business on the assumption that what you have affirmed

and visualized is true. Affirm it, visualize it, believe it, and it

will actualize itself. The release of power which this

procedure stimulates will astonish you.

Feelings of confidence depend upon the type of thoughts that

habitually occupy your mind. Think defeat and you are

bound to feel defeated. But practice thinking confident

thoughts, make it a dominating habit, and you will develop

such a strong sense of capacity that regardless of what

difficulties arise you will be able to overcome them. Feelings

of confidence actually induce increased strength. Basil King

once said, "Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your

aid." Experience proves the truth of this. You will feel these

mighty forces aiding you as your increasing faith

reconditions your attitudes.

Emerson declared a tremendous truth, "They conquer who

believe they can." And he added, "Do the thing you fear and

the death of fear is certain." Practice confidence and faith

and your fears and insecurities will soon have no power over

you.

Once when Stonewall Jackson planned a daring attack, one

of his generals fearfully objected, saying, "I am afraid of

this" or "I fear that..." Putting his hand on his timorous

subordinate's shoulder, Jackson said, "General, never take

counsel of your fears."

The secret is to fill your mind with thoughts of faith,

confidence, and security. This will force out or expel all

thoughts of doubt, all lack of confidence. To one man who

for a long time had been haunted by insecurities and fears I

suggested that he read through the Bible underlining in red

pencil every statement it contains relative to courage and confidence. He also committed them to memory, in effect

cramming his mind full of the healthiest, happiest, most

powerful thoughts in the world. These dynamic thoughts

changed him from cringing hopelessness to a man of

compelling force. The change in him in a few weeks was

remarkable. From almost complete defeat he became a

confident and inspiring personality. He now radiates courage

and magnetism. He regained confidence in himself and his

own powers by a simple process of thought conditioning.

To sum up—what can you do now to build up your self-

confidence? Following are ten simple, workable rules for

overcoming inadequacy attitudes and learning to practice

faith. Thousands have used these rules, reporting successful

results. Undertake this program and you, too, will build up

confidence in your powers. You, too, will have a new feeling

of power.

1. Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a mental

picture of yourself as succeeding. Hold this picture

tenaciously. Never permit it to fade. Your mind will seek to

develop this picture. Never think of yourself as failing; never

doubt the reality of the mental image. That is most

dangerous, for the mind always tries to complete what it

pictures. So always picture "success" no matter how badly

things seem to be going at the moment.

2. Whenever a negative thought concerning your personal

powers comes to mind, deliberately voice a positive thought

to cancel it out.

3. Do not built up obstacles in your imagination. Depreciate

every so-called obstacle. Minimize them. Difficulties must

be studied and efficiently dealt with to be eliminated, but

they must be seen for only what they are. They must not be

inflated by fear thoughts.

4. Do not be awestruck by other people and try to copy them. 

Nobody can be you as efficiently as YOU can. Remember

also that most people, despite their confident appearance and

demeanor, are often as scared as you are and as doubtful of

themselves.

5. Ten times a day repeat these dynamic words, "If God be

for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31) (Stop reading

and repeat them NOW slowly and confidently.)

6. Get a competent counselor to help you understand why

you do what you do. Learn the origin of your inferiority and

self-doubt feelings which often begin in childhood. Self-

knowledge leads to a cure.

7. Ten times each day practice the following affirmation,

repeating it out loud if possible. "I can do all things through

Christ which strengtheneth me." (Philippians 4:13) Repeat

those words NOW. That magic statement is the most

powerful antidote on earth to inferiority thoughts.

8. Make a true estimate of your own ability, then raise it 10

percent. Do not become egotistical, but develop a wholesome

self-respect. Believe in your own God-released powers.

9. Put yourself in God's hands. To do that simply state, "I am

in God's hands." Then believe you are NOW receiving all the

power you need. "Feel" it flowing into you. Affirm that "the

kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21) in the form of

adequate power to meet life's demands.

10. Remind yourself that God is with you and nothing can

defeat you. Believe that you now RECEIVE power from

him.