Sunday, July 25, 2010

A Few of My Beliefs

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."  -- Proverbs 1:7

Our actions revolve around our innermost beliefs. It's like the code in your PC that runs behind the scene. We make or break because of our beliefs; a bug could spell disaster to our application. So the key to sucess in our life now, and even in life after death lies in our belief. The good news is that you can change your beliefs, and hence your future. Just make sure that you are not dumping a rotten tomato for a rotten egg.

Early this month, I joined the Energizer marathon. It was not really a big deal except that I have never joined a marathon in my life before. I was sickly and sluggish as a kid. In every physical sports I joined in, I was either average or below average. On top of this, I haven't engaged in any physical sports or activities like basketball, badminton for the longest time.

On my way to Rox to register, I set my mind for 3K or at most 5K. I thought that finishing 5K was questionable because of my poor stamina, but I took it as a worthwhile challenge. However, when I got to Rox, a friend of mine challenge me to run for 10K. The challenge just blew my mind away. If I have doubts of finishing the 5K in vertical position, how much more finishing 10K? Maybe on a stretcher! That was my belief at that moment. But then another belief of mine butted in, "If I set my mind into a BIG dream, commit my heart to it, give my very best, and ask God for it, if it's good for me, then it shall be given." I figured that the marathon is good for my health, so even with traces of fear and doubt in my heart, I signed for the 10km marathon. And the rest is history. I finished the marathon sprinting towards the finish line. I did not receive any accolade though, but the fact that I conquered my fear and doubt by changing my belief was already a reward in itself to celebrate for. (To read my insight and experience of the marathon from my preparation up to the actual running day, click here.)

Now please allow me to share here a few of my most treasured beliefs in life briefly. Some I acquired when I was still a teenager. Others I acquired just recently. Why I am doing this? It is my hope that you will find these useful or at least it will ignite your mind to examine your own beliefs more closely. But if not, then you can do whatever you like to do with these.

A FEW OF MY BELIEFS

God’s way is always the best way all the time. Hands down." (learned by hard experience)

"If I set my mind into a BIG dream, commit my heart to it, give my very best, and ask God for it, if it's good for me, then it shall be given."  (condensed from many sources)

"I don’t believe in coincidences; everything that happened that are beyond my control is under God’s control." (reflection after reading the bible)

"Do the right thing at all times even if it hurts or even if I don’t like doing it. Do it anyway." (from John Maxwell)

"I cannot control how other people behave, but I can control how I will react to them or to the situation around me." (from 7 Habits of an Effective Person)

"I will not succeed if I will quit. Rest if I must, but never quit." (derived from Winston Churchill)

"I reap what I sow." (from the book of Galatians in Bible)

"I cannot correct a mistake by making another mistake." (from my mother)

"It’s never too late to change for the better." (from a movie I watched as a teenager)

The right beliefs can enable us, the wrong beliefs can ruin us. So pick your beliefs wisely now. Where to get the right beliefs? Start with Proverbs 1:7.

2 comments:

  1. Hi Raoul,

    Great beliefs you have here!
    What caught me most is "I will not succeed if I will quit. Rest if I must, but never quit." (derived from Winston Churchill).
    There a was a poem way back when I was still in grade school which has a phrase "Rest if you must, but don't you quit". It has been my motto to most of my major endeavors from my first basketball game to the taking of the board exam, to running my first marathon. Kudos to you for taking the 10K on your first try. I remember my first marathon was 5K in the CDU run and I remember murag na ko mamatay sa kakapoy. And I thought I was fit! Neway, I still liked it so much that I made it a goal in the coming Cebu Marathon 2011 that I will be able to finish my first 42K! I believe everything is possible if you just believe that you can do it.
    I have already finished my first 21K last April and currently training for my 2nd 21K race this August as well as the 21K Milo marathon this September. I hope this will help me prepare for one of my Dreams! (the 42K!)

    Lastly, let me share with you a phrase on one of the books I read. Hope you will find it inspiring as well...

    The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. - Eleanor Roosevelt

    Dream Big guys!!!

    ACO

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  2. Wow! Twenty-one K is indeed a terrific accomplishent, ACO. I think we both agree that the ceiling of our accomplishment is our belief. This is the key of all keys. If we want to accomplish more than what we are capable now, then we have to raise that ceiling by changing our limitng belief. That is why I am blown away by Mark 11:22~25. Jesus as our Master Crafstman knew that we have the ability to create and accomplish incredible things if we just believe it because He included this in our special features. He created us. The secret was just spelled out by the Creator Himself. So dream BIG indeed! I admire you for raising the ceiling even higher by another 21K. Wow! 42K! Kudos to you my friend for being bold enough to dream of doing this. I'm positive that you can do it. It won't be easy though but I am confident that you know what you are doing. Right now, I started a new challenge for myself. It's a one month challenge. You can read it in http://conqueryourferandgetoverit.com. God bless!

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