Black Water and the High Jump

"Jeremy?" says Austin, a fellow coworker and friend. "This song? It's by Three Dog Night, isn't it?"

"Yes!" I said confidently!

"Yeah, Jeremy, it is Three Dog Night. I'm sure of it!" says Austin.

The thing is ... I had no clue! I was born in the 80's but I know nothing about 80's music! You see the song was actually Black Water by The Doobie Brothers. And after writing the statement about 80's music, I looked it up and it was actually written in 1974, not in the 80's. LOL

Because I was so confident in my answer, I transformed Austin's wavering mind to solidly, yet incorrectly, believing this song was by Three Dog Night.

I used to high jump in track when I was in high school. Don't get me wrong ... I was terrible, but when I first started, I was much worse! The thing is that I am as flexible as a 2x4 and I never really loosened up. When I first lined up for the high jump I asked them to lower it, but they said it was the lowest it would go. I had the hardest time clearing it! I could dunk a basketball, but I couldn't clear this silly stick? I would try so many time and just couldn't get it. My coach told me, "You have to believe that you can do it or you will never get it." Thanks coach, no new techniques, no physical pointers, just a mental one. I figured that I must really suck if that's all he had for me. The next day I thought about it and kept envisioning what a high jumper is supposed to look like. I envisioned it as though it was me. I began to believe that is what I looked like and that I seriously just needed to believe in myself. That practice, I walked up to the high jump took off in as good of form as you are going to get from me and I cleared it! Grant it was not pretty nor looked anything like I envisioned it, but coming to horizontal pole raised in the air my confidence kept me from buckling at the last moment and I actually could raise the bar a little after a few more confident jumps.

Both of these situations were immensely effected by the confidence exuded! My manager used to get on me telling me that I lacked confidence and that's why I wasn't selling as many cars. Even though I knew all the information the customer needed, I would second guess my ability which left the customer lacking confidence in me.

It is amazing how a little mindset change can drastically improve results! I don't know what you are dealing with or what you are working on. In your job, family or with your friends, confidence can transform your relationships, performance and ideas! The impossible becomes possible, your weakness becomes strength and exciting things happen!

Be strong, be confident and find success!