By: Dr. Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, Sr. Associate Editor-ICN Group
KOLKATA: In part 12 of the series, we saw how to get rid of poor self-image. Today, we will see what happens when you see that the task which you consider almost impossible is done successfully by anybody else.
Believe that if somebody else has done it, I can also do it.
One beautiful example of power of sub-conscious mind and belief system is the history of running a mile in less than 4 minutes. Till 1954, nobody had succeeded in running a distance of one mile in less than four minutes. It was believed that it was physiologically impossible for humans to do so. It was even considered dangerous and the studies used to show that if anybody tries it, his heart may explode or it may have severe adverse impact on the nervous system causing death. On 6th May, 1954, Roger Bannister ran 1 mile in less than 4 minutes (3 minutes 59.4 seconds to be precise). An age long belief was shattered and it filled up other aspirants with belief that they can also follow the same.
You will be surprised that the record of Roger Bannister lasted only for 45 days. Since 1954, more than 20,000 persons have run a mile in less than 4 minutes. What has changed? The belief, that it is possible for the body to endure; the heart will not explode; the nervous breakdown will not occur. Once the belief changed, many runners were able to run a mile in less than 4 minutes. It was not only a test of legs but it was a test of whole body and thinking mechanism as well.
Roger Bannister was himself a neurologist. He worked upon his body as well as psyche and decided to go for it. The belief changed after one event that it is possible and it paved way for others to follow suit. Researches have proved that there is a definite link between body and the mind. Whatever you think or believe will affect your performance and will shape your life and help you to achieve success.
I give you another example. Once Mount Everest was peaked by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953, there started a regular tradition to climb Mount Everest every now & then by different mountaineers. It could happen only due to the inculcation of new belief that it is possible; and if somebody else can do it, I can also do it by following the route and systematic process followed by the earlier conquerors.
Can you believe it that in the year 2013, one person named Yuichiro Miura of Japan climbed Mount Everest at the age of 80 years 224 days. He had first created the record of oldest person to climb Mount Everest in the year 2003 at the age of 70 years 225 days. Somebody else broke the record in 2006 and Yuichiro Miura reclaimed the record in 2008 by climbing the Mount Everest again at the age of 75 years 227 days. Again, his record was broken in the year 2008 itself but Yuichiro Miura reclaimed the record again in the year 2013.
You might think that Miura succeeded time and again due to his experience and he must have done this during his lifetime. Here, I must tell you that in the year 2010, Jordan Romero of United States climbed Mount Everest to become the youngest person to climb Mount Everest at the age of just 13 years 10 months & 10 days. In 2014, Malavath Purna, a young girl from India climbed Mount Everest at an age of just 13 years and 11 months. And now hold your breath because you are going to be amazed to know that in 2001, a blind person named Erik Weihenmayer peaked the mighty Mount Everest.
What does this show? This shows the power of belief that by following the route and systematic process followed by earlier climbers, even Mount Everest can be peaked, age & sex don’t matter. There is no limit to human will, determination and resolve. You have to just believe it to do it.
Landing human feet on the moon was also such a landmark foot. Earlier, it was beyond imagination to land feet on the moon but once it was done, now it has become a regular feature to send manned missions to moon and other planets. They have to just follow the systematic formula used before.
In one-day international cricket, it was beyond imagination that somebody can score 200 runs in an inning, which lasts only 50 overs. But in 2010, Sachin Tendulkar not only breached the 13 years old record of 194 runs, he went on to score first double century in one day internationals. It was a landmark not only from the angle of magical figure of 200 but also due to the fact that at that time, the age of Sachin Tendulkar was 37 years and we all know that 37 years of age is considered too much in cricket for such a high degree of endurance. It gave belief to other players that if 200 runs can be scored in a one-day international match by a person, who is 37 years old; they can also do it. The landmark of 200 was broken in the next year itself in 2011 by Virendra Sehwag. Since then, even 250 has been breached once by another player Rohit Sharma. Can you believe that after the inning of 200 by Sachin Tendulkar, 7 more times 200 or more runs in an inning have been scored. Why this started happening? Because a belief was created by Sachin Tendulkar that if somebody can do it, I can also do it.
Hope is born when we see or hear about someone who overcame difficult odds to become successful, and we say, “May be I can do that, too.” – Zig Ziglar
One thing which I want to highlight here is that the same belief system which happened to work against you so far can be used to work for you with awareness that you can do it with little awareness. You have to inculcate a belief that if somebody else has done it before, I can also do it because now, recipe of success is available.
(In the upcoming article of this series, we will know how to handle temporary setbacks in life and become a no-limit person. So, stay tuned every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday. Happy G.O.P.T.A.)
Dr. Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, Creator & copyright holder of the concept G.O.P.T.A.© is an Author, Certified NLP Lifestyle Practitioner, Corporate Trainer & Motivational Speaker and recipient of Honorary Doctorate of Excellence (Management) by prestigious Young Scientist University, California, USA. He is Founder of ‘Read, Learn & Earn Movement’ and is popularly known among his fans & followers across the globe as ‘Time and Goal Guru’.
His book ‘How to Add 50000 Productive Hours to Your Life’ is available at Amazon & Flipkart in English at http://bit.ly/HowToAdd50000ProductiveHoursToYourLife
