A thought by John C. Maxwell in his book, Talent Is Never Enough (p. 23). HarperCollins Leadership.  Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

John says, "If you want your talent to be lifted to its highest level, then you don’t begin by focusing on your talent. You begin by harnessing the power of your mind. Your beliefs control everything you do. Accomplishment is more than a matter of working harder or smarter. It’s also a matter of believing positively. Someone called it the 'sure enough' syndrome. If you expect to fail, sure enough, you will. If you expect to succeed, sure enough, you will. You will become on the outside what you believe on the inside."

He continues, "Personal breakthroughs begin with a change in your Beliefs. Why? Because your beliefs determine your expectations, and your expectations determine your actions. A belief is a habit of mind in which confidence becomes a conviction that we embrace. In the long run, a belief is more than an idea that a person possesses. It is an idea that possesses a person. Benjamin Franklin said, 'Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.' If you want to achieve something in life, you have to be willing to be disappointed. You need to expect to succeed. Does that mean you always will? No. You will fail. You will make mistakes. But if you expect to win, you maximize your talent, and you keep trying.

"Attorney Kerry Randall said, 'Contrary to popular opinion, life does not get better by chance, life gets better by change. And this change always takes place inside; it is the change of thought that creates the better life.' Improvement comes from change, but change requires confidence. For that reason, you need to make confidence in yourself a priority. You need to put believing in your potential, yourself, your mission, and your fellow human beings at the top of your list. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt asserted, 'The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.' Don’t let your doubts cause your expector to expire."

He goes on, "Harvey McKay tells the story of a professor who stood before a class of thirty senior molecular biology students. Before he passed out the final exam, he stated, 'I have been privileged to be your instructor this semester, and I know how hard you have worked to prepare for this test. I also know most of you are off to medical school or grad school next fall. I am well aware of how much pressure you are under to keep your GPAs up, and because I am confident that you know this material, I am prepared to offer an automatic B to anyone who opts to skip taking the final exam.

"The relief was audible. A number of students jumped up from their desks, thanking their professor for the lifeline he had thrown them.

" 'Any other takers?' he asked. 'This is your last opportunity.'

"One more student decided to go."

John then said, "The instructor then handed out the final exam, which consisted of two sentences. 'Congratulations,' it read, 'you have just received an A in this class. Keep believing in yourself.' It was a just reward for the students who had worked hard and believed in themselves."

So true. So true. Yes, yes! #continuethought