When knowledge becomes believing

I’ve been thinking about something lately - something that’s helped me understand myself a bit better. It’s this: I need proof before I can truly believe in something enough to fully commit.

Here’s what I mean.

I can learn about an idea, and it might make perfect sense to me. I might even think I believe it. But what I’ve decided about me, is that there’s a difference between knowing and understanding something in my head - and me actually believing it in my heart.

Let me give you an example.

I’ve read before that the people you spend time with shape who you are.

If you hang out with people who are lazy, unmotivated losers, you might start to pick up their habits.

But if you’re around people who are ambitious and hardworking, you’ll start to act more like them.

Quotes like “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future” help to captures this idea nicely.

I’ll read it, digest it and think to myself “that’s so true” and “that makes perfect logical sense”. I store that new bit of knowledge in my brain and carry on with my life.

But here’s the thing: nothing changes.

Why? Because while I understand it and I think it’s true, I don’t really believe it… yet.

Now imagine this: by chance, I start spending time with someone who’s really ambitious.

Maybe it’s a mate who’s working hard at the gym, building a business, or just smashing their goals.

Without even meaning to, I start picking up their energy and I notice that I’m improving too.

Maybe I’m working harder, getting fitter, or feeling more motivated to get after my goals in life. Boom!

And then I look back trying to work out what has caused this positive change in my life.

And then it hits me - I connect the dots. I realise it’s because of who I’m surrounding myself with - and that’s when the idea finally clicks for me.

Now, I don’t just have the knowledge about people who I surround myself with influencing and shaping me - I actually have the proof. I’ve seen it first hand in my life and nothing you or anyone else can tell me can change my lived experience.

Now - I believe it.

Unlocking that shift - from knowing something to believing it - is what I believe (and I use that word very deliberately) it takes to really commit to an idea and go all in. I can say that because I have proof.

Learning leads to knowledge. But it’s proof in my life that makes me believe, and belief is where real change begins.

So, if you’ve ever learned something and thought, “Yeah that makes sense,” but it didn’t lead to any changes, don’t feel bad. Maybe you’re like me, and you just need to see the proof first. And that’s okay.

Because once you believe, everything changes.

Ngā mihi,
Anton