Commonplace Book # 7

“All kinds of prison, and I’m stuck in the worst: the prison of doubt”

– Twice in a Lifetime. TV episode.

Twice in a Lifetime is a hard show to explain. It is a feel-good show that gives people a second chance at their life. A character dies at the start of every episode and is then given the chance to go back and make some changes in their life. The catch is that they only have three days to make the change and that they must do it as a third and outside party. The soul is sent back to earth as a “free agent with the blessing of God almighty.” Thus starts the show every week.

I wrote the quotation down from one episode a long time ago because it spoke to me. I thought that it was a good metaphor because doubt can be debilitating. Another quote that relates to this topic is…

“If you think you can or you think you can’t you’re right.” – Henry Ford.

Both of these quotes illustrate the power of belief. If you truly believe that you can’t do something and if you let doubt stand in your way, you will be stuck. You won’t be able to accomplish anything. Of course, the reverse is also true. If you believe that you can do something and work hard to make it happen, it will happen.

Belief is a really strong power. It can keeps us trapped or give us complete freedom.