Unlock Your Potential With The Power Of Belief

Your beliefs are tools, not truths.

In 2006, U.S. Team freestyle skier Michelle Roark zoomed down the slope at her first Olympics, conquering hilly terrain that not even a 4×4 could handle. At 31, she was already years older than the average Olympic freestyle skier (24 years old at the time). She had fought through massive obstacles for half her life to get there.

Roark was kicked out of her mother’s house when she was 15 and spent the next three years living in a tent in Winter Park, Colorado. She worked three jobs to support herself. At 16, she qualified for the Olympics but sustained a knee injury that kept her out of the 1994 Olympics. Two more serious knee injuries, each right before the Olympic Games in 1998 and 2002, prevented her from competing. At one point, a coach told her she was never going to make it to the Games.

But Roark knew what she wanted, believed she was capable of it, and refused to quit. She used the rehab time after her second knee surgery to pursue a degree in chemical engineering, which she eventually used to launch a business that she continues to run today. She competed in the 2010 Olympics at the age of 35.

Belief is one of the most powerful forces in our lives. Roark’s unflagging belief that she could be an Olympian brought that goal to fruition. In her mind, her Olympic future was inevitable.

But beliefs are not absolute truths. They are tools that exist on a spectrum between fact and faith. Facts are objective realities that remain true whether we believe in them or not. Faith is absolute conviction without evidence, a leap beyond what the senses or science can verify.

By understanding belief as something between fact and faith, we can, like Roark, use our beliefs strategically. We can choose and adjust them to serve us better, and maybe achieve things no one else thought we could.

The Function of Belief

Our beliefs make up a personal working model of reality that we hold to be true—until better evidence or perspectives come along to change it. Beliefs help us navigate and make sense of the world, and they shape our reality.

In a world buzzing with infinite information and uncertainty, our brains need some way to simplify and create order. That’s where beliefs come in. Psychologists describe belief as a cognitive framework, or a mental model we use to interpret reality and make decisions.

Beliefs serve three key functions:

1. Beliefs simplify complexity. The world is too vast and chaotic to analyze from scratch every second. Beliefs act as mental shortcuts (aka heuristics) and frameworks (aka schemas) that help us make quick sense of a complex environment.
2. Beliefs create meaning. Human beings are natural storytellers. Studies on narrative coherence show that being able to fit our experiences into a coherent story is linked to better emotional health. Belief-driven narratives give us a framework that facts alone often can’t provide.
3. Beliefs guide action. They are the mental bridge between perception and behavior. When we face decisions or uncertainty, we lean on our beliefs to choose a course of action.

Beliefs are a kind of mental survival tool. But not all beliefs are created equal. Some help us thrive, while others hold us back. How can we tell the difference?

A Strategic Perspective on the Power of Belief

If beliefs are tools, then we should ask ourselves, Are we using the right tools for the job? What we believe in can either propel us forward or hold us back.

For example, whether you have a growth mindset, the belief that abilities are not fixed but can be developed, or a fixed mindset, the belief that abilities are innate and can’t be changed through effort, influences your life outcomes.

Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck’s research revealed how profoundly students’ beliefs about intelligence shaped their academic resilience—and ultimately their success. Students who believed intelligence could be developed through effort (growth mindset) approached setbacks completely differently than those who saw intelligence as fixed (fixed mindset).

When faced with academic challenges, growth mindset students thought “How can I improve?” and doubled down on learning. Fixed mindset students thought “Am I smart enough?” and often gave up when the work got hard. The growth mindset students saw failure as feedback; the fixed mindset students saw it as proof of their limitations. One group used setbacks as stepping stones, while the other treated them as stop signs.

Fixed mindset’s destructive cousins are fatalism—the belief that outcomes are predetermined—and learned helplessness, where people convince themselves their actions don’t matter. Someone trapped in this thinking might say, “Why bother trying? I’m just unlucky.” This belief doesn’t just sap motivation; it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy that ensures the very failure it predicts.

To leverage beliefs effectively, practice pragmatic belief selection: intentionally choose beliefs that support your goals, well-being, and personal growth, even without definitive proof. Prioritize asking, “Is this belief helpful?” over “Is this belief true?” Consider the self-imposed labels adopted early in life, such as “I’m not a runner” or “I’m not book smart,” and explore the possibilities that might arise from letting go of these limiting beliefs.

This isn’t about fooling yourself; it’s about productive optimism. Effective beliefs are typically grounded in enough evidence to be plausible but also offer enough hope to motivate you beyond your current reality. History is full of achievements that were preceded by a bold belief—Michelle Roark’s among them. The belief comes first, and the outcome follows.

We have the power to choose our beliefs—and that means we can upgrade them when they’re no longer serving us. Start by asking yourself: What story am I telling myself about my limitations? Which of my beliefs energize me to take action, and which leave me feeling stuck? What would I attempt if I truly believed it was possible?

Your beliefs are your mental toolkit. Make sure you’re carrying the right tools for the life you want to build.

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