I Believe in You

“I believe in you.”

Those words can carry with them an incredible power when they come from a place of absolute honesty and sincerity.  When another person can look you right in the eyes and say those words with a conviction you can feel, they come with a force that compels you to do everything in your power to honor that belief, to live up to the meaning behind those words.  You walk away from that moment with a sense of purpose and direction, a renewed motivation.  

I’m a naturally driven person.  When I dedicate myself to something, I take ideas, and I run with them, blow them up into concepts that sometimes end up bigger than I am.  I think it ties right into that post about living a passionate life and making the most of every minute.  If I am going to put my time and effort into something, it is always, every single time, going to be 100% all in.  That kind of passion, that level of effort and energy can be exhausting, and there will inevitably be moments along the way when you feel like sustaining it may be a stretch.

Right now, I am working harder than I ever have in my life, because in addition to my typical life responsibilities, I am training hard for a marathon, and I am working on a project I believe in more than anything I may have ever believed in before.  I would estimate that 90% of the time, I’ve got enough confidence, enthusiasm, and determination to keep me going on my own.  That other 10% can be overtaken by fear, self-doubt, and exhaustion, especially if not everything is going to plan.

I was in that 10% this week, and you know what I find to be so powerful?  I didn’t even have to ask for help or encouragement.  It just showed up. It found me, just when I needed it, in such a  powerful and meaningful way.

“I believe in you.”

I don’t like to admit weakness or ask for help.  I am not a huge fan of relying on other people for strength.  I prefer to hold onto the notion that I have enough belief in myself to make anything happen, but I think I’m realizing that a great deal of that confidence may very well come from knowing that, when I do need help, I know exactly where to find it.