What determines whether a man or woman awakes in the morning excited with life, enthusiastic, with a zest for living, or wakes up lethargic, wondering, “What’s the use?”

You may think about this, and answer, “hope”. I believe that you’d be on the right track, but you haven’t dug quite deeply enough. Ask yourself, “What does it take to have hope for a new day?”

The answer, I think, I believe, is just that: belief. If someone looks at their situation in life and holds no hope for its betterment, doesn’t that mean that they don’t believe that things can improve? Conversely, even someone who may be at the bottom of one of life’s troughs can look on the day with hope, knowing that a better future is in store, because they believe that it can be, that it will be.

I have been led to this distinction several times over the last few days. Even though I’ve basically heard it from day one in my quest for personal development knowledge and techniques, it seems to have been bypassed for more flashy, attention-getting material. How to do this, how to do that, raise yourself to success, make more money, get the girls, get the bling.

How-tos are fine, they can be necessary (although I’m no longer convinced that they really are). But if you don’t look at a technique, or an idea, and believe that it’s possible, you’re not even going to try, don’t you think?

The makers of The Secret (a fantabulous feature, by the way) use a quote from W. Clement Stone in the film: “Whatever the mind of man can conceive, it can achieve.” Whether by design, to prove a point, or error, Stone was misquoted. The accurate quote is this:

Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.

Notice the missing words: and believe. A man can daydream all day, but if he doesn’t believe in his heart that the dream is at least possible, he’ll likely not take any action toward it. In not believing in the possibility, his mind will be closed to guidance. Opportunity will knock, but he won’t be home to answer the door.

How does one increase the level of their belief? Just look around! Rags-to-riches stories abound! Look behind the negativity that is the news media, and you’ll find countless stories of success despite long odds, healing when it shouldn’t have been possible by normal standards, fantastic achievements, miraculous recoveries. Look around, and know that if someone has done a thing once, it can be done again. You know, without a doubt, that the thing is possible. And if one person can accomplish a thing, so can you.

Up until 1959, no man, except one, thought that a man could run a mile in less than four minutes. It simply wasn’t possible. One man, though, believed that he could do it. And he did. His name was Roger Bannister, the first man to run a four-minute mile. Did you know that in the two years that followed his breakthrough no less than 70 people ran a mile in less than four minutes? Think about this! In all of recorded history, that milestone had never been achieved. But once it had been done once, people began to believe it could be done. They saw, they believed, they achieved. All it took was one man accomplishing the impossible, and suddenly it was no longer impossible.

That is how you believe. Know that you are no worse, and no better, than any other person walking the earth. Look at a thing, and know, in your heart, that if someone has done it, you can too. Let loose of all your excuses, your reasonings as to why it can’t be done or that you can’t do it.

If Og Mandino can go from a homeless drunk to being the editor of Success magazine, so can you. If Joe Vitale can go from being destitute and homeless to being one of the most sought-after ad gurus on the planet, so could you.

Look at the thing that you want. See it in your mind’s eye. Do you see that glimmer around the edge? That is hope; that is possibility. Reach for it — know that if you can conceive of it, if you believe that you can accomplish it, you can. You will.

Have hope. Believe!