“Everything you can imagine is real.” – Pablo Picasso
Look at how advanced our world is. We have apps like Skype that allow us to see and talk to someone on the other side of the planet. We have airplanes that allow us to travel from place to place within hours — something that was thought to be impossible hundreds of years ago. We have medical technology that allows doctors and surgeons to save thousands of lives a year. With imagination, that’s how our world came to be.
As Steve Jobs put it, everything you see around you in this world has been done by people who are no smarter than you. The human brain is extraordinary. Once you believe you are what you’ve always wanted yourself to be, you will start behaving that way. Instead of hoping you are successful, start believing you will be successful.
If you woke up from a coma and couldn’t remember anything from your life, you would believe what people tell you about yourself. If they told you that you were an Oscar-winning actor, you’d believe it. Once you believe it, you would embody it and start behaving like an Oscar-winning actor. If they told you that you were a teacher, your expressions would be different.
Remember: Success doesn’t happen overnight, and it sure as hell doesn’t happen with only luck. Get out of your comfort zone. Don’t doubt yourself. Approach the game differently.
If you want to be what you’ve never been before, change your mentality. Think “I am” instead of “I want to be.” If you want to produce acorns, don’t think like an acorn. Think like an oak. If you can do this, you can get anything you want in life.
Confidence and belief go hand-in-hand. When you don’t believe in yourself, you will carry that with you everywhere. Your body language will show your lack of confidence, and that’s what you’ll portray to the world.
Remember: Each day is an opportunity. You should be excited that you have endless opportunities at UF. When you don't exert enough effort, you’re probably not thinking about the opportunity. You’re thinking about the obligation. Pursue all that you do with passion.
College is when you adjust a lot of your philosophies and behaviors. Transform yourself into the person you’ve always wanted to be now. It won’t be possible until you believe you can. It all starts with you.
