No You Can’t: The Power of Self Belief | Abigail Henson | TEDxOnondagaCommunityCollege

so I want to talk to you today about the

so I want to talk to you today about the power of self belief and I want to

power of self belief and I want to

power of self belief and I want to invite you to start recognizing it not

invite you to start recognizing it not

invite you to start recognizing it not as the power of what we’re able to

as the power of what we’re able to

as the power of what we’re able to achieve by what we believe we can but

achieve by what we believe we can but

achieve by what we believe we can but what we doubt because self belief is an

what we doubt because self belief is an

what we doubt because self belief is an equation and the belief is the comfort

equation and the belief is the comfort

equation and the belief is the comfort of who we are but the doubt is what

of who we are but the doubt is what

of who we are but the doubt is what holds the power of the capabilities we

holds the power of the capabilities we

holds the power of the capabilities we can become and if doubt is really the

can become and if doubt is really the

can become and if doubt is really the thing we need to overcome in order to

thing we need to overcome in order to

thing we need to overcome in order to succeed then we need a tool to use so

succeed then we need a tool to use so

succeed then we need a tool to use so that we can rise up to meet it when we

that we can rise up to meet it when we

that we can rise up to meet it when we have the opportunity and I think of

have the opportunity and I think of

have the opportunity and I think of these opportunities to meet doubt as

these opportunities to meet doubt as

these opportunities to meet doubt as these series of little leaps and I’m

these series of little leaps and I’m

these series of little leaps and I’m going to talk to you for a moment about

going to talk to you for a moment about

going to talk to you for a moment about a little leap of mine and I’m going to

a little leap of mine and I’m going to

a little leap of mine and I’m going to offer a mantra that you can use going

offer a mantra that you can use going

offer a mantra that you can use going forward that may help you when you’re

forward that may help you when you’re

forward that may help you when you’re when you meet doubt in order to proceed

when you meet doubt in order to proceed

when you meet doubt in order to proceed so in the spring my friend Joe has a

so in the spring my friend Joe has a

so in the spring my friend Joe has a company get living and he took us on a

company get living and he took us on a

company get living and he took us on a trip that he calls an experience and

trip that he calls an experience and

trip that he calls an experience and these experiences are three to five day

these experiences are three to five day

these experiences are three to five day adventures where you’re basically asked

adventures where you’re basically asked

adventures where you’re basically asked to break down your mental boundaries by

to break down your mental boundaries by

to break down your mental boundaries by pushing yourself past your physical

pushing yourself past your physical

pushing yourself past your physical capabilities and I’ll give you an

capabilities and I’ll give you an

capabilities and I’ll give you an example he gave us our workbook and one

example he gave us our workbook and one

example he gave us our workbook and one day he asked us to fill out all of our

day he asked us to fill out all of our

day he asked us to fill out all of our self-limiting beliefs all of our doubts

self-limiting beliefs all of our doubts

self-limiting beliefs all of our doubts and all of our fears and on the other

and all of our fears and on the other

and all of our fears and on the other side of the page he asked us to explain

side of the page he asked us to explain

side of the page he asked us to explain what would happen if we ever had the

what would happen if we ever had the

what would happen if we ever had the courage to come face-to-face two of

courage to come face-to-face two of

courage to come face-to-face two of those fears or to defy those doubts and

those fears or to defy those doubts and

those fears or to defy those doubts and what the worst possible scenario would

what the worst possible scenario would

what the worst possible scenario would be if we did that and then he had his

be if we did that and then he had his

be if we did that and then he had his jump out of a plane so talk about a leap

jump out of a plane so talk about a leap

jump out of a plane so talk about a leap and when you think about the worst

and when you think about the worst

and when you think about the worst possible outcome of jumping out of a

possible outcome of jumping out of a

possible outcome of jumping out of a plane or the worst possible scenario its

plane or the worst possible scenario its

plane or the worst possible scenario its death so all of a sudden we had a

death so all of a sudden we had a

death so all of a sudden we had a different way of looking at things and

different way of looking at things and

different way of looking at things and if you’ve never jumped out of a plane

if you’ve never jumped out of a plane

if you’ve never jumped out of a plane then there’s nothing you can do to

then there’s nothing you can do to

then there’s nothing you can do to prepare yourself

prepare yourself

prepare yourself for the mental and physical and

for the mental and physical and

for the mental and physical and emotional fear that you’re about to face

emotional fear that you’re about to face

emotional fear that you’re about to face and I actually didn’t have that in the

and I actually didn’t have that in the

and I actually didn’t have that in the beginning and as we started going up in

beginning and as we started going up in

beginning and as we started going up in the plane I felt actually fine and then

the plane I felt actually fine and then

the plane I felt actually fine and then I realized there was nothing I could do

I realized there was nothing I could do

I realized there was nothing I could do to back out of this moment and I started

to back out of this moment and I started

to back out of this moment and I started getting upset about a few different

getting upset about a few different

getting upset about a few different things one I had a newfound fear of

things one I had a newfound fear of

things one I had a newfound fear of death too I couldn’t comprehend what

death too I couldn’t comprehend what

death too I couldn’t comprehend what this feeling was going to be I had no

this feeling was going to be I had no

this feeling was going to be I had no realm of comparing it I had no

realm of comparing it I had no

realm of comparing it I had no comprehension I had never experienced

comprehension I had never experienced

comprehension I had never experienced anything like it before so the

anything like it before so the

anything like it before so the uncertainty of not knowing what falling

uncertainty of not knowing what falling

uncertainty of not knowing what falling would feel like was really freaking me

would feel like was really freaking me

would feel like was really freaking me out and I read to convince myself that

out and I read to convince myself that

out and I read to convince myself that maybe it would just feel like floating

maybe it would just feel like floating

maybe it would just feel like floating that didn’t seem as scary and the third

that didn’t seem as scary and the third

that didn’t seem as scary and the third thing I was having an issue is was

thing I was having an issue is was

thing I was having an issue is was trusting that while we were reaching

trusting that while we were reaching

trusting that while we were reaching elevation and my tandem partner was

elevation and my tandem partner was

elevation and my tandem partner was strapping me in as if he used all the

strapping me in as if he used all the

strapping me in as if he used all the belts and buckles right because all I

belts and buckles right because all I

belts and buckles right because all I could think was if I jump and I’m not

could think was if I jump and I’m not

could think was if I jump and I’m not strapped to this guy he’s the only thing

strapped to this guy he’s the only thing

strapped to this guy he’s the only thing attached to the tiny piece of cloth that

attached to the tiny piece of cloth that

attached to the tiny piece of cloth that separates me between life and death

separates me between life and death

separates me between life and death so as we approach the landing to jump he

so as we approach the landing to jump he

so as we approach the landing to jump he scooching us further and further or

scooching us further and further or

scooching us further and further or closer and closer to the door and I’m

closer and closer to the door and I’m

closer and closer to the door and I’m watching my friends disappear in the

watching my friends disappear in the

watching my friends disappear in the wind and I asked him or he asked me are

wind and I asked him or he asked me are

wind and I asked him or he asked me are you ready and I asked him am I strapped

you ready and I asked him am I strapped

you ready and I asked him am I strapped in and because of the helmet in the wind

in and because of the helmet in the wind

in and because of the helmet in the wind he must have heard something different

he must have heard something different

he must have heard something different are we going to land because his

are we going to land because his

are we going to land because his response to me is don’t worry landings

response to me is don’t worry landings

response to me is don’t worry landings 100% guaranteed and that’s the last

100% guaranteed and that’s the last

100% guaranteed and that’s the last thing I hear is we have bodies

thing I hear is we have bodies

thing I hear is we have bodies plummeting to the earth 150 miles per

plummeting to the earth 150 miles per

plummeting to the earth 150 miles per hour for 60 seconds and when you’re in

hour for 60 seconds and when you’re in

hour for 60 seconds and when you’re in that moment there’s nothing you can do

that moment there’s nothing you can do

that moment there’s nothing you can do but receive it and when we land because

but receive it and when we land because

but receive it and when we land because we do and we will no matter what we face

we do and we will no matter what we face

we do and we will no matter what we face we’ll come out on the other side of it

we’ll come out on the other side of it

we’ll come out on the other side of it everything was relative in that moment

everything was relative in that moment

everything was relative in that moment that list that we had May

that list that we had May

that list that we had May before we went up in the plane seemed

before we went up in the plane seemed

before we went up in the plane seemed really silly and it was those it’s that

really silly and it was those it’s that

really silly and it was those it’s that series of little leaps and with the

series of little leaps and with the

series of little leaps and with the exception of a vertical drop out of a

exception of a vertical drop out of a

exception of a vertical drop out of a plane I think of them more as qohen

plane I think of them more as qohen

plane I think of them more as qohen centric circles and every time we met

centric circles and every time we met

centric circles and every time we met with self-doubt and we rise up to meet

with self-doubt and we rise up to meet

with self-doubt and we rise up to meet it and we keep that in mind that no

it and we keep that in mind that no

it and we keep that in mind that no matter what happens or where we land

matter what happens or where we land

matter what happens or where we land landings guaranteed and we may miss or

landings guaranteed and we may miss or

landings guaranteed and we may miss or make the mark but no matter where we

make the mark but no matter where we

make the mark but no matter where we land

land

land we’ve already stretched our mind in that

we’ve already stretched our mind in that

we’ve already stretched our mind in that new direction and now all of a sudden

new direction and now all of a sudden

new direction and now all of a sudden we’ve started collecting the confidence

we’ve started collecting the confidence

we’ve started collecting the confidence in the courage and all of the other

in the courage and all of the other

in the courage and all of the other pieces that build the Empire of our self

pieces that build the Empire of our self

pieces that build the Empire of our self belief so that our comfort level can

belief so that our comfort level can

belief so that our comfort level can start to gain traction and our doubts

start to gain traction and our doubts

start to gain traction and our doubts are starting to be diminished but no

are starting to be diminished but no

are starting to be diminished but no matter what we do with our doubts we

matter what we do with our doubts we

matter what we do with our doubts we never want to be complete with without

never want to be complete with without

never want to be complete with without them because they are truly the thing

them because they are truly the thing

them because they are truly the thing that gets us to reach out further and

that gets us to reach out further and

that gets us to reach out further and jump out and onwards and upwards and

jump out and onwards and upwards and

jump out and onwards and upwards and what I would say is maybe not invite you

what I would say is maybe not invite you

what I would say is maybe not invite you to jump out of a plane today or tomorrow

to jump out of a plane today or tomorrow

to jump out of a plane today or tomorrow but to pick that thing to you that feels

but to pick that thing to you that feels

but to pick that thing to you that feels that scary because we all have something

that scary because we all have something

that scary because we all have something that is waiting there that we’re scared

that is waiting there that we’re scared

that is waiting there that we’re scared to face and it’s because of the

to face and it’s because of the

to face and it’s because of the uncertainty of not knowing what to

uncertainty of not knowing what to

uncertainty of not knowing what to expect and it’s because of the fear and

expect and it’s because of the fear and

expect and it’s because of the fear and it’s because of the doubt and if we can

it’s because of the doubt and if we can

it’s because of the doubt and if we can push past that just remember that no

push past that just remember that no

push past that just remember that no matter what your leap is landings 100%

matter what your leap is landings 100%

matter what your leap is landings 100% guaranteed thank you

guaranteed thank you

guaranteed thank you [Applause]