What we think and believe, we become.

"You become what you believe. You are where you are today in your life based on everything you have believed." --Oprah Winfrey

I read this quote early Monday and it kind of lingered on me as if to tell me that I am exactly where I am today because I believed that I can do this. I don’t know much about admin stuff, let alone reporting directly to the president and coordinating with top-management officials of a company, but hey, here I am setting my roots in a new company, making my desk a homier version of an office, and learning new things one day at a time. I remember telling my parents and some of my friends that taking this job is scary – it is an unfamiliar territory that I have yet to explore. I did wish and prayed to land this job; I did imagine myself doing it; but more than anything, I did believe that despite the unfamiliarity and the uncertainty, I could do it.

There are so many great things that have happened in my life that I owe to the power of the human mind. One day an idea crosses my mind, the next night I set it as a goal and imagine myself doing it (or seeing the results of it), and then the following days and nights (sometimes months or years), I would see myself getting closer and closer to that goal. And before I knew it, it is right in front of me, ready for the taking. Some would say it is fate or chance or luck that makes dreams come true, but the very fact that your mind was able to dream about it already pushes the notion that you can make it happen.

It is not enough to just believe in something, or think that that something will come true on its own. It is, however, the crucial first step into achieving whatever it is that you want in life. You have to believe in yourself, in your own capabilities, talents, and strengths, and you have to be able to fight for it – to be able to commit yourself to it. You have to put in the hard work, dedication and perseverance that it entails, and most importantly, you have to keep the faith that this thing (whatever it is that you believe in) can and will happen. Keeping the faith is another story altogether – worthy of another entry for another day. But the point is plain simple: to be successful in whatever you do; to get what you want when you want it; or to be happy, for that matter – it all starts in you and you alone holds the power.

It is not going to be easy – making a deliberate choice on what to do and what not to do is in itself a struggle. For the most part, it is a struggle because it takes time and effort and continuous evaluation of what you really believe in. Some people would tend to settle with the easy way out, the short-cut, the obvious answer for the sake of making a decision – and that’s their choice, not necessarily in line of what they believe in, but nevertheless, it’s their choice; while others would go through the hassle of weighing in on things, thinking through each angle, considering different possibilities before making an informed decision.

You choose to believe in something, you make your decisions and choices in life based on that belief, and if in the end, you made it (whatever it is that you believe in) happen, then good for you – you have arrived at your preferred destination simply by believing that you can ignite the fire within you. But if not, then at least you made decisions and choices that you are comfortable with and still got pretty close to making it happen – you had a wonderful and fruitful journey in life, nonetheless.

So believe that life is worth living; believe that you possess love and that you are worthy of love; believe that you can be healthy and fit; believe that you will be able to do the things that you have always wanted to do; and believe that you are destined for greatness. Believe that you can top that board/bar exam; believe that you can close the deal with that big client; believe that you can lose that few extra pounds; believe that you can get over this heartbreak; believe that you are stronger than you think; or simply believe that you are wonderfully and uniquely created by God for a purpose.

Choose wisely; make informed decisions; take control of your life – because no one else can do a better job at it than you. Always be reminded that, as Ralph Waldo Emerson puts it, “Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.” So what have you got to lose?

I would like to end this thought with yet another quote – this one is the compiled version of all the closing narration of the characters from the series finale of One Tree Hill:
“Make a wish and place it in your heart – anything you want, everything you want. Do you have it? Good. Now believe it can come true. You never know where the next miracle’s gonna come from; the next memory; the next smile; the next wish come true. But if you believe that it’s right around the corner, and you open your heart and mind to the possibility of it – to the certainty of it – you might just get the thing you’re wishing for. The world is full of magic; you just have to believe in it. So make your wish. Do you have it? Good. Now believe in it, with all your heart.”