You underestimate your ability to modify the person you are. While humans are spiritual and complex creatures, they are also simple machines, and everything about us can be parsed down to a one or a zero. Your being is a collection of points of data that you are free to manipulate to a large degree, and if you are dissatisfied with yourself, it’s likely that the power to change is entirely within your hands.
Anything about your person which you lack, but which is demonstrably obtainable by human beings, is obtainable to you. Confidence? You can build it. Defy the voice that says “I can’t” or “I’m too inexperienced” or “I’m useless”. This voice lies to you in an attempt to convince you that the ability to change is beyond you, when in fact, you are capable of banishing this voice entirely.
Strength? Intelligence? You can earn it. Exercise your mind or your muscles. Flex them, and they will build with use. Wisdom? You can ask for it. God loves to help us build virtue, often by giving us opportunities to develop it.
It’s difficult to stress this enough- You can be exactly the kind of person you wish to be, even if that person is a polar opposite to the person you are now. If you doubt this for reasons excepting physical limitation (you can’t decide to grow wings and fly), then it is because the voice from before has convinced you of its greatest lie: you are powerless.
Humans are insanely powerful creatures. We bear such incredible malleability, but all too often are content to allow our circumstances and our peers to mold us instead of the other way around. You have the power to get a better job. You have the power to get into the career you want. You have the power to achieve the things that you only dare to dream of, simply because the obstacles before you appear insurmountable. Most significantly, however, you have the power to change yourself.
Developing control over this power turns you into a different person by nature. You start to realize that new obstacles are just old adversity wearing a different face. The stumbling blocks in your path cease to be forces of nature, and begin to be challenges. The signs given to you by your circumstances stop saying “You can’t,” and start saying “I dare you.” “I dare you.” I dare you.
Dare to infuse this truth into yourself. Dare to become the person you only wish you could be. Dare to work and sweat and succeed. Dare to take the opportunity, make the speech, get the interview. Dare, and whether you immediately reach your goal or not, you have realized a fraction of your power. You have begun to understand that the data you hold can be modified, and that the idea that “your dreams are unrealistic” is just the opposite.
Dare, and the beautiful truth will become a part of you that you can do anything. Dare.
awesome…thank you for the article
Thank you. I will continue to try. Sometimes it’s SO hard
I love it 🙂 Thank you for reminding me, I am the power I desire to change.
To be so young Zach, and willing to cultivate a new spring of life into another is so refreshing to read. Your 500 words to inspire another, also taught me a new word= malleability. Whereby someone is capable of being changed and trained. I love it. It so compliments how one can dare themselves to seek the virtue’s and be blessed by God.
Indeed! Thank you for sharing
Absolutely right! Thanks a lot.
wonderful! Thank you.
Well said. I totally agree with you, Zach 😊.
Thank you for this inspirational read which is very uplifting and gives me hope that I can help my son to realise his potential and forget the past and focus on the wonderful person he is in himself for his future.
I absolutely admire young people who have made such a change to their lives and believe in God to help and guide them which is something we should all try to believe in – sadly I see a lot of “lost” young people in the community who need this type of help to refocus their attention and make the change.
A huge thank you again!