Seeing and Believing

February 11, 2011 by Gail
Filed under VPL

They say that seeing is believing but sometimes when you’re just starting out in business you have to mentally put the cart before the horse and believe in yourself long before you see the reward of good results from all your hard labour …

VPL

VPL is short for Very Penneylane. They’re my take on everyday lessons from life. Lessons learnt and others where I missed the boat completely. Life’s long or short, depending on which end of the paddle you draw. Either way, being stuck up a creek without one makes for some interesting observations.

ABOUT that lesson

It’s important to keep the wins where you can see them. It’s the reason I’ve often kept a noticeboard on the wall directly in front of me or above my laptop at eye level with words that spur me on.

I keep a photograph of my children in my wallet, reread cards people took the time to personally write to me, save ‘Miss You’ notes written to me on the back of a serviette and emails people wrote to me expressing their gratitude for our friendship. They’re all wins.

It’s also the reason I often look in the mirror each morning and tell the person reflected back at me, out loud to her face to ‘back herself!’ It’s a win. I’m intentional when it comes to the speak of the voice inside my head, not because I’m full of myself but because anything less jangles the nerve.

And some days you really need nerve. You need it to be solid without too much of the steel. Too much steeliness and other people find it hard sitting with you. Too much softness and other people have a hard time hearing what you’re saying.

So just for today, believe in yourself, the whole nine yards! And tomorrow we’ll add another nine and so on and so on and so on. Enjoy the wins when they come as they come, we never know what’s up ahead or around the corner. Winning IS something but believing in yourself IS something else again. Life, it’s about seeing AND believing.