Self belief: The Little Engine That Could

“I think I can. I think I can.” was popularized by the folktale of The Little Engine That Could. As children, many of us are exposed to this folktale. The purpose is to help us believe in ourselves.

It’s important for us to trust in our own abilities. As we grow up, our belief in ourselves is shaped by both internal and external factors.

The Little Engine That Could

At the core of who we are – internal factors – is the belief in ourselves to make decisions, to achieve meaningful things, and to grow from a personal perspective.

As an example, if you don’t believe that you will succeed or do well, there is a chance that you won’t. Doubt can lead to self-sabotage. If we believe in ourselves, we can discover our strengths, our gifts, our potential.  

We’re also shaped by external factors that influence how we feel about ourselves. These external factors can influence how confident we are about our skills. We gather information from others on how others think of us or how others perceive us and this feeds into our confidence about who we are.

Trusting in our abilities: Self belief

Trusting in our own abilities is a little different than confidence. Self belief is about the beliefs that we have about ourselves as a person. It’s also about trusting in abilities such as our decision-making skills and ability to learn and do new things including making ethical and meaningful decisions. Confidence, on the other hand, is the skill or knowledge we possess to enable us to carry out a certain task.

If you doubt some of the decisions that you’re making then this is self belief. Fundamentally, self belief is driven by something within us –  our values, spiritualism, the core of who we are, etc. While confidence is more about skill and knowledge to do tasks – work related, sports, construction, car maintenance, etc.

To be successful, we must develop both our confidence and belief in ourselves. As we pursue an awakened way, it’s important to understand and nurture belief in ourselves. Find more resources on spiritual topics.