AWAKENING THE INNER GIANT
By Anthony Robbins Editorial Grijalbo Barcelona, 1992
Belief Systems: The power to create and destroy.
"Among all that we believe, we all believe in life, as the last veil of our spirits."
ANTONIO MACHADO
HE WAS A BITTER AND CRUEL MAN, an alcoholic and drug addict who had almost killed himself on
several occasions. Currently, he is serving a life sentence for murdering the cashier at a liquor store
who "got in his way." He has two sons, born barely eleven months apart, one of whom grew up to
be "just like dad": a drug addict who lived off theft and threats to others, until he too ended up in
jail for attempted murder. However, his brother has a different story: a man who educates three
children, enjoys his marriage and seems truly happy. As regional director of a large national
company, his job offers him challenges and rewards. He is physically thin and is not addicted to
alcohol or drugs.
How is it possible that these two men turned out to be so different, after growing up in the same
environment? When privately asked, without knowing the other had also been asked, "Why have
you directed your life down this path?" Surprisingly, they both gave the same answer: "What else
could I have become, after growing up with a father like mine?"
We are often inclined to believe that circumstances control our lives, and that the environment has
shaped us as we are. A greater lie could never have been told. It is not the circumstances of our
lives that shape us, but our beliefs about what those circumstances mean.
Two men are shot down in Vietnam, taken prisoner and confined in the infamous Hoa Lo prison.
They find themselves isolated, chained to cement blocks, and are continuously beaten with rusted
chains and tortured to obtain information. Despite both receiving the same abusive treatment,
they develop radically different beliefs about their experience. One decides his life is over and, to
avoid any more pain, commits suicide. The other draws an even deeper belief in himself, humanity
and the Creator from this brutal experience. Captain Gerald Coffee uses this experience of his to
remind people all over the world of the power of the human spirit to overcome virtually any level
of pain, any challenge or problem.
Two women turn seventy, but each gives a different meaning to that fact. One "knows" her life is
drawing to an end. For her, seven decades of life mean her body must be breaking down, and it will
be best to start putting her affairs in order. The other woman decides what a person is capable of
doing at any age depends on their beliefs, and establishes a higher standard for herself. She
decides mountain climbing could be a good sport to take up at seventy years of age.
Over the next twenty-five years she dedicates herself to mastering this new adventure, climbing
some of the highest peaks in the world, until now well into her nineties, Huida Crooks has become
the oldest woman to climb Mount Fuji.
As you can see, what shapes who we are today and who we will be in the future is never the
environment or the events that occur in our lives, but the meaning we give to those events. Beliefs
are what makes the difference between a life of joyful contribution and one of misery and
devastation. Beliefs are what separated Mozart from Manson. Beliefs are what turned some
individuals into heroes, while inducing others to "lead lives of quiet desperation."
What are our beliefs for? They are the guiding force that will lead us toward pain and pleasure.
Every time something happens to us in life, our brain asks two questions: 1) Will this mean pain or
pleasure?; 2) What must I do to avoid pain and/or obtain pleasure? The answers to these two
questions are based on our beliefs, and our beliefs are driven by our generalizations about what
we have learned leads to pain and pleasure. Those generalizations guide all our actions and,
consequently, the direction and quality of our lives.
"Medicines are not always necessary, [but] belief in recovery always is."
NORMAN COUSINS
I have had the privilege of knowing Norman Cousins for almost seven years, and I was fortunate
enough to have recorded the last interview with him just one month before his passing. In that
interview, he shared with me a story about the power beliefs have over our bodies. During a soccer
game in Monterey Park, a suburb of Los Angeles, several people experienced symptoms of fish
poisoning. The doctor who examined them deduced the cause was a soft drink dispensed by a
vending machine, as all the patients had had one before feeling sick. An announcement was made
over the loudspeakers at the field asking that no one use that particular machine, as some people
had gotten sick, and the symptoms were then described. In the stands, great confusion
immediately ensued, and many people vomited and fainted. Even some who had not gone near
the machine at all got sick!
That day, the ambulances from nearby hospitals had a field day, coming and going to the stadium
transporting many sick fans. When it was discovered the cause was not the vending machine, and
this was announced, people "miraculously" recovered.
"All truth finds an effective and undeniable existence only in the imagination of men. Imagination,
not invention, is the supreme master of art, as of life."
JOSEPH CONRAD
One of the greatest challenges that can arise in a person's life is knowing how to interpret
"failures." The way we face the "defeats" of life, and what we determine about them, is what
shapes our destinies. We need to remember that our lives will be shaped more than anything else
by how we face adversity and challenges. Sometimes we receive so many references to pain and
failure that we start to lump them together in the belief that nothing we do can improve things.
Some people start believing things are irremediable, that they are powerless or worthless, or that
they will lose anyway, no matter what they do. These are a series of beliefs we must never tolerate
if we want to expect success and achievement in our lives. These beliefs deprive us of our personal
power and destroy our ability to act. In psychology there is a name for this destructive mental
state: learned helplessness. When people experience enough failure at something (and it would
surprise you how few times this happens to some people), they perceive their efforts as futile and
develop the terminal discouragement of learned helplessness.
Loaded with low self-esteem, Bob accepts a job as a "traffic cone."
The second difference between winners and losers, optimists and pessimists, is their belief about
the pervasiveness of problems. A successful person never sees a problem as something pervasive,
that is, able to control their entire life. They always see it as: "Well, it's just a small challenge to my
eating pattern," and not as: "I am the problem. My life is ruined because I eat too much." On the
contrary, pessimists (those with learned helplessness) have developed the belief that, since they
have failed in life, they are a failure. They believe that, since they have financial problems, their
entire life is destroyed, that no one will take care of their children, that their wives will leave them,
etc. From there, they soon generalize, exaggerate things and feel helpless. Imagine the impact of
permanence and pervasiveness together! The solution to both is to see something you can control
in your life and start acting in that direction.
By doing so, some of these limiting beliefs will disappear. The category of belief that Seligman calls
personal, I call problem personalization. If we do not see a failure as a challenge to modify our
attitude, but rather as a problem with ourselves, as a defect in our personality, we will immediately
feel overwhelmed. After all, how can you change your whole life? Isn't that more difficult than
changing your actions in a particular area? Be careful not to adopt the belief that a problem is
personal. How can you feel inspired if you are constantly punishing yourself?
Sustaining these limiting beliefs is like systematically ingesting tiny doses of arsenic that
accumulate over time to reach a lethal dose. Although we do not die immediately, we start dying
emotionally at the moment we absorb them. So we must avoid them at all costs. Remember that
while you believe something, your brain acts as an autopilot, filtering every piece of information
from the environment, and looking for references to confirm your belief, regardless of what it is.
This is why it is so important to be aware of our beliefs and consciously choose those that serve us
rather than limit us. We must question our beliefs and be willing to change them if needed. As the
saying goes, "The only thing constant in life is change." Our beliefs may need to change as we gain
new experiences and perspectives. It's important to maintain an open and inquisitive mindset.
Some key questions to ask ourselves include: How is this belief serving or limiting me? What
evidence do I have to support it? Could there be another way of looking at this? Am I interpreting
things in an overly narrow or rigid way? How might changing this belief allow for more possibilities
in my life? Questioning our beliefs in this way helps us recognize when we have outgrown old
limitations and are ready to embrace new empowering perspectives. Personal and spiritual growth
is an ongoing process that requires such self-reflection and willingness to evolve. We must be
willing to let go of beliefs that no longer serve us and adopt new ones that support us in living
according to our highest ideals and values. This allows us to continuously improve ourselves and
overcome limitations from the past. As we do this inner work, we pave the way for positive change
in our outer circumstances as well.
With an open and inquiring attitude, we can learn from any experience, regardless of the apparent
outcome. Both successes and failures offer opportunities for growth, as they can reveal limiting
beliefs for us to transform. Rather than making assumptions, asking thoughtful questions is key. We
must also be willing to challenge common assumptions and social conditioning in order to discern
our own truth. When we take charge of consciously crafting empowering beliefs, we set ourselves
on course for the fulfillment we seek. The journey within is one of lifelong discovery.
As we continue exploring our beliefs, we find that many were formed in childhood based on
limited experiences and information. By questioning and consciously choosing new empowering
perspectives, we take back our power and freedom. Our lives then become a creative work of art
that we craft according to our highest aspirations.
When we recognize that our beliefs drive our actions and reality, we come to understand the
profound impact we have on our own lives. We no longer see ourselves as victims of outside forces
but rather as authors of our destiny. With this comes not only empowerment but also
responsibility. As the captains of our ship, we must chart the course we desire. This requires
awareness, courage, and commitment to personal growth. But the rewards of living an authentic,
purposeful life far outweigh any challenges along the way.
As we evolve, so does our experience of being human. When we embrace growth and change, we
access ever deeper levels of wisdom, compassion, creativity and joy. We come to see that each
moment is a new opportunity to transform limiting perspectives into empowering ones. And we
recognize that we all walk similar paths of self-discovery.
Though the journey is lifelong, tremendous progress is possible even in a short amount of time by
making a commitment to shed disempowering beliefs and adopt empowering ones. When we do
the inner work, outer results quickly follow. We begin seeing ourselves and others through the lens
of human potential rather than past limitations. And we find the strength to lift each other higher.
In the end, changing our beliefs comes down to choosing consciousness over unconsciousness. It is
the decision to be fully alive and awake to each moment instead of living on autopilot. When we
bring awareness to how we create our own realities through the beliefs we accept, a whole new
world opens up. We realize that we alone shape the quality of our tomorrows based on how we
think, feel and act today. With this insight comes freedom and possibility beyond measure.
May we each walk this empowering path. As we do, we help lift the collective consciousness of
humanity. For our beliefs do not exist in a vacuum; we all contribute to the field of thought that
shapes our shared reality. When individuals change limiting beliefs into empowering ones, the
ripple effects spread outward exponentially. This is how social movements for justice, equality and
progress take hold.
By undertaking the inner work, we do our part to make the world a little bit better. We
demonstrate to others that a life of fulfillment and contribution is possible through cultivating
empowering perspectives. And we pay it forward by supporting those around us in recognizing and
releasing their own disempowering beliefs. In this way, we spread hope and help others actualize
their potential.
This is the great work to which we are all called - to continuously evolve in wisdom and service.
When we live from this place of conscious growth and giving, life truly becomes a joyful
celebration. May we walk as lights for all who seek their own way in the world.
Our shared future depends on each person who chooses to believe in humanity's highest
possibilities today. When we make that choice, we take the first step toward recreating ourselves
and our world. For in that instant of deciding to believe, new potentials awaken within us that
were dormant before.
With this awakening comes a surge of creative power and determination to manifest what was
once merely an idea or hope. Our lives then become acts of co-creation with the universe as we
sculpt new realities through the thoughts, words and deeds inspired by our transformed beliefs.
What seemed impossible is rendered plausible. And what was once plausible becomes inevitable.
In this lies the promise of true change - when individuals make internal shifts that then ripple
outward. For it is never the circumstances that determine our fate, but rather how we interpret
and engage with those circumstances. When enough of us recognize this truth and take charge of
authoring empowering meanings, we reach a tipping point for remaking society accordingly. This is
the quiet, constant revolution that uplifts humanity to its highest expression.
The invitation, therefore, is to believe - in ourselves, in each other, and in our capacity as spiritual
beings having a human experience. To believe that another world is possible, and to take the first
steps today required to birth that world. For it all starts from the inside out. And even one person
changing their beliefs can help change the world.
