Self-Perception

12^th November 2024

In my Book, ‘Dear Son -Life Lessons from a father.’, one of the most important chapters is titled, “Talent is not enough”

Most people feel that if they have talent, they will surely succeed, but there are enough examples of highly talented people who have not succeeded and that is mainly due to:

1. a) Self-perception or lack of self-belief that you can succeed despite all odds.
2. b) Lack of Persistence or quitting too early when faced with an obstacle.
3. c) Encashing too early.

If you ask most successful investors about their biggest regret or mistake, they will invariably say, they sold out too early. The encashed when the stock price doubled or tripled and the stock went on to become a ten bagger or even a hundred bagger in their lifetime. Whether it was due to lack of belief or not setting the bar higher, it is for you to decide. This is true for many of us in our career or business, where we don’t scale up or aim higher only because we underestimate the potential and don’t believe we can.

And on the other hand, many people with an average talent succeed because they believe they can, and they put in regular consistent efforts which compound over time to give astounding results.

There are many factors that can hold a person back in this life.

Many are circumstantial – a lack of money, no education, an unstable home environment, emotional hiccups, different priorities, demands of family etc. These conditions may occur during our childhood and are outside of our control, especially when we’re growing up.

But one of the biggest setbacks a person can face is one that can be practiced and is in your control: Your own perception of what you’re capable of.

In my years of experience, I’ve found that the defining characteristic that sets the massively successful apart, is simply the self-belief that they are capable of achieving what they want.

If I could give a piece of advice to anyone, it would be to allow your imagination to THINK BIG- and to have the self-belief that you are capable of achieving great things; that sense of purpose, of knowing that you can do much more than what you’re already doing and to have the ability of breaking the inertia to get out of the comfort zone.

In my earlier years, I used to feel scared, and scale back before I’d even begun. I’d make a plan, then re-examine it, and question myself, “Have I overdone it, Am I biting more than I can chew?” Diffidence used to lead to half-hearted efforts and quitting too early.

Now, I challenge myself to do the opposite. I make a plan and then I ask myself:

“Am I thinking big enough?”

Now the maxims I strongly believe in are:

If you have to think anyway, why not think big.

In all things, it is better to hope than to despair.

Say I can instead of I can’t. Believe you can and you are halfway there.

If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it.

If you don’t ask, the answer is always going to be no.

If you don’t step forward, you’ll always remain in the same place.

I have now realised that, to achieve big, you don’t have to work harder, but you have to work smarter.

Thinking big or big goals doesn’t mean taking more risk, it means risk optimization.

Have the courage to take the first step in faith; believe in yourself, dream big, work hard, stay humble, achieve and stay blessed forever.