“Believe And You Shall Achieve”

This is not to be confused with positive thinking. That expression was originally created by a bodybuilder named Tony Little, and he used that expression to motivate people. Anyone here remember Tony Little? That was before most of your times lol. He touted himself as “America's Trainer!'

We can interpret it as merely saying if you don't believe you can achieve something…you probably can't. However, your goals must be realistic or you set yourself up for failure.

The power of positive thinking can be beneficial when used within proper boundaries and limits. When people have unrealistic expectations this does become a flawed philosophy.

For example, if I merely believe that I'm going to become wealthy, famous, and the leader of the free world…. All the positive thinking in this universe is not going to deliver on my delusion.

Therefore, the believe and you shall achieve is limited to realistic beliefs. Part of the success of believing and achieving is to visualize the end product.

Here’s an example that violates this rule.. If you're a 50-year-old man who weighs 250 pounds and has led a sedentary life for many years and abused your health,,,, and you picture yourself weighing 170 pounds with bulging muscles and ripped abs within one year you can believe all you want, however you will not achieve, because this is not realistic..

Simply put, wishing does not make it so. However, let's take the same man who is 250 pounds and he puts a picture in his mind of losing 20 to 30 pounds in one year, lowering his cholesterol, lowering his blood sugar, improving his fitness level, adding some muscle tone, and feeling a heck of a lot better… we have an example of a man who can believe and can achieve.

The first step for this person is to picture himself a year later, to actually visualize a leaner more healthy body 20 to 30 pounds lighter and more vital. Now he has to be willing to put the effort, the work, into achieving his results.

Since I do not ascribe to positive thinking…. what do I ascribe to? I certainly do not advocate negative thinking! Negative thinking is just as delusional as positive thinking. The only difference is it can be more destructive, as it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. And that is one prophecy you do not want to fulfill!

Negative thinking is best left to to the gloomers and doomers of the world! There is no point in thinking negatively. Every day is a new chance to get out and put a realistic goal into effect in the gym and out.

Realistic thinking is that true philosophy! Seek the achievable, and seek to get it done. It is the philosophy of taking a real goal and accomplishing it.

A realistic philosophy is always best because it negates extreme factors that are out of our control. We know that in life there is surely an element of luck. This element comes in the form of both good and bad.

However, it is foolish to plan on good or bad luck. It simply is not realistic. If a positive thinker is basing his plan on good luck he has absolutely no control over this factor. Therefore, he is setting himself up for disappointment and failure.

Conversely, those who think that everything that can go wrong will go wrong are equally delusional. They are setting themselves up for failure for complete opposite reason of the positive thinker.

So realize that luck is a factor. However, we don't count on either good or bad. We assumed these are extremes, and we leave out the extremes. If they occur we deal with them. If you have good luck congratulations and I'm happy for you! If you have bad luck will try to cheer you up, make adjustments and go from there. Streaks tend to end and there's always tomorrow!

However, most people tend to have neither good nor bad when it comes to luck. Most people tend to get out of something what they put into it. That is realistic, and that is realistic thinking.

As you pick realistic goals with... achievable goals, and then you use the methods and systems to make them real and achieve them.

If you expect to have tremendous success in improving your health and vitality without putting in hard work, and making the necessary changes this is unrealistic thinking.

Therefore, step two of realistic thinking involves the actual doing to get the results of our goals. It means we need to be prepared for all the variables that are going to occur during our attempt to achieve those goals, and all the work we need to put in.

The man mentioned earlier who wants to lose 20 or 30 pounds in a year, obtain increased vitality, add muscle tone etc. is thinking realistically in his goal setting, and now he must think realistically about what it will take to get there.

You'll see that you have every advantage in the world in achieving realistic goals toward your health and phsique. However, to think that it will be easy is unrealistic.

Good planning and implementing regimented routines and methods make a nearly impossible task much easier, however it is still difficult. And as a you must be prepared for the changes that will occur and that you must make.

You must prepare yourself mentally and there will be no shocks and you'll be limiting disappointment!. You'll be must be totally educated on everything you need to know to achieve health, lose weight, gain muscle, increase vitality, and turn your life around. That means studying, doing the research and executing it in the gym!

However, you'll be responsible for your actions and hold yourself accountable. That in itself is realistic. To pamper yourself if you do not put in the proper effort would accomplish nothing. Be tough on yourself but not overly so.

So make yourself proud because it means you are succeeding. Success is what this is about and it's a wonderful feeling. Since you are picking realistic goals for yourself ,you cannot dwell on excuses, or failure because simply put it can be done, we all know it can be done, and expect yourself to do it.

If you exceed your goals that's thrilling, and congratulations are in order. By taking an extremely realistic goal it is surely possible to exceed expectations.

This is a long road, but each step brings you closer to the finish, and you will finish.

As you reach goals within a time frame you will set new goals that you will agree to, and you'll agree that they are realistic.

The biggest problem most people have is that after they make an initial commitment they want to see amazing results in record time. However as that would be wonderful but it simply is not realistic.

I will remind you once again that the only thing that counts is finishing the race. If you get to the finish line you've had a victory. As long as your time frames are reasonable that is all that counts because you are not competing with anyone but yourself.

Everyone’s starting health level, physical condition, body weight, age, and genetics will vary. Therefore, everybody's goals must be uniquely set for them based on these criteria.

The bottom-line is that over a period of years you will get there and achieve more than you set out to, and become the best you can be. Whether it takes one year or five years, the bottom-line is you did it!

You will live the five years if you do this, and you'll get there. If you get there sooner that is wonderful! But 10 years from now when you look and feel great no one is gonna ask you if it took one year or five years. They will simply look at you and say you look great.

So have confidence that realistic thinking works because it is real and it is based in doable reality. Realistic thinking sets you up for the expectation of success, and you will do everything it can to make sure that that occurs.

Realistic thinking can become part of your life in other areas. Using the principle of realistic thinking can help taking further in your career, and improve your relationships with friends and loved ones.

When you're no longer setting yourself up for failure with unrealistic expectations based on wishful thinking but rather employing the solid principle of realistic thinking…you will enjoy a happier healthier and more productive life.