The Power of Belief: Why Belief Changes Outcomes

The Power of Belief: Why Belief Changes Outcomes

There is a story about a man, many years ago, whose business was in serious trouble. He had lost some big sales, he was deeply in debt, and his suppliers and creditors were closing in on him.

He didn’t know whether he should continue struggling or just declare bankruptcy and let his business fold. He decided to go for a walk in the park that evening to think it over and decide what to do.

He was standing on a small bridge in the park, looking down at the water, when an older man emerged from the darkness. Seeing his downcast look, the older man stopped and demanded to know what was wrong.

For some reason, the businessman told him about all his financial problems and how close his business was to collapsing. The older man listened intently, then said, “I think I can help you.”

He pulled a checkbook out of his pocket, asked the man his name, wrote out a check, pushed it into his hand, and said, “Take this money. Meet me here exactly one year from today, and you can pay me back at that time.”

Then the older man turned and disappeared into the darkness.

When the businessman returned to his office, he opened the check and found that it was for $500,000. At first, he thought it was a joke until he read the signature.

The signature read, “John D. Rockefeller.”

He had received a check for half a million dollars from the richest man in the world at that time, a man well known for giving money away to help others.

At first, he thought about cashing the check and solving all his financial problems immediately. But instead, he decided to put the check in his safe, knowing he could draw upon it at any time.

He would use the knowledge of having that money available to deal more confidently with his suppliers and creditors and to turn his business around.

With renewed enthusiasm, he plunged back into his work. He made deals, negotiated settlements, extended payment terms, and closed several large sales. Within a few months, his business was back on top, out of debt, and making money again.

One year later, he returned to the bridge in the park with the uncashed check still in his hand. He could hardly wait to tell the older man what had happened.

At exactly the agreed-upon time, the older man emerged from the darkness once more. Just as the businessman was about to return the check and tell him the story of the past year, a nurse came running toward him.

“I’m so glad I caught him,” she said. “I hope he hasn’t been bothering you. He’s always escaping from the rest home and going around telling people that he is John D. Rockefeller.” She took the old man by the arm and led him away.

The businessman stood there stunned.

All year long, he had been wheeling and dealing, buying and selling, and rebuilding his business with the calm, confident knowledge that he had a $500,000 check in his safe that he could cash at any time.

Mental Lesson: The Power of Belief

It suddenly dawned on him that he had made his business successful based on his beliefs, even though the information on which those beliefs were based was false. The check had never been real, but the confidence it created was. It was his confidence in action, not the money itself, that was responsible for the turnaround in his affairs. He moved differently. He spoke differently. He decided differently. And over time, those decisions compounded into something real.

What are you holding yourself back from because of your fears? Not because you lack skill or opportunity, but because doubt keeps you cautious when the moment requires movement. Fear has a quiet way of shrinking what feels possible long before reality ever does.

The belief you have within yourself is the most powerful agent of change you can possess. It shapes how you interpret pressure, how long you stay steady, and whether you trust yourself enough to keep going when certainty is unavailable.

Where are you placing your faith? Where do you get your knowledge that everything will be okay? How do you stay calm, cool, and collected amidst the storm, when the outcome is still unclear, and the risk feels real?

Next Rep: The Confidence to Act

I know the common phrase says, “Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will.” There is some truth in that statement, but it only tells part of the story. The deeper layer is not fear itself; it’s the pause that fear creates. The waiting. The hesitation. The decision to stand still while the world keeps moving.

The inaction caused by fear is what slowly suffocates dreams. Not all at once, but quietly, and over time.

There are countless people who feel fear every single day and still do big, hard, scary things anyway. Fear shows up for them just like it does for everyone else. It doesn’t disappear. It doesn’t quiet down. It just stops being the authority.

So many people believe that feeling fear means something is wrong. That it’s a signal to stop, slow down, or wait until confidence arrives before continuing. That belief traps people because fear is often present when you are standing at the edge of growth. It shows up when the outcome matters. It shows up when your identity is on the line. It shows up when the path forward requires you to become someone slightly different from who you were before.

Everyone I know who is doing meaningful work is doing it with uncertainty sitting right beside them. They don’t know if it will work. They don’t know how it will end. They don’t know if it will last.

What they do know is that hiding behind the bars of their Dead Zone, too afraid to take action, will rob them of who they’re meant to be, what they’re meant to do, and what they’re trying to accomplish.

When you feel stuck, overwhelmed, and notice doubt, frustration, and fear starting to poison your thinking, there is a question I want you to ask yourself:

“What’s the next best action I can take right now?”

That question pulls you out of your head and back into the moment. And action is the key to stepping out of your Dead Zone.

Final Buzzer

Belief is the story you accept as true before you have proof.

It’s the quiet conviction that shapes how you interpret what’s happening around you. It tells you whether a setback means danger or information. Whether pressure means you’re in trouble or simply being tested. Whether fear means stop or take action.

Most of the time, belief isn’t loud or dramatic. It shows up in small moments. In the pause before you speak. In how steady your voice stays when the stakes rise. Whether you remain present long enough for your judgment and skill to come back online.

When belief is strong, fear loses its authority. Fear can still be there. Your heart can still race. The butterflies may still make you nauseous. Doubt can still whisper. But belief decides who’s driving. Fear might sit in the passenger seat, but it no longer controls the wheel.

It doesn’t change the facts of your situation. It changes how you meet those facts. And how you meet them determines what you do next. Over time, those actions shape your outcomes.

What is one thing you’ve been waiting to feel ready for, and what would change if you took the next small step anyway and trusted yourself to figure out the rest as you go?

Challenging you head-on and always in your corner,

​— Coach VJ

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This is the work I bring into locker rooms, boardrooms, and team environments.

If you’re looking to bring a mental performance message on confidence, pressure, and belief to your team or organization, you can connect with me here.

I also offer 1-on-1 mental performance coaching. You can learn more or book a conversation here.

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