A tiny, yet powerful coach said, "The things that held you down are going to carry you up, and up, and up!...You'll be the world's only flying elephant!" That line was delivered by Timothy, the friendly mouse and cheerleader in one of my all time favorite Disney movies-- Dumbo. The tenderness of that movie always makes me cry. What inspires me about it is the way our little elephant hero triumphs over rejection and learns to believe in himself.

Facing rejection is hard for everyone, and if you're in a service business where your product is YOU, the fear can be paralyzing at times. Yet, in order to succeed, you have to be willing to put yourself out there and believe that you can do it! And that is especially true in the early phases of your business. When it's all hard work and results haven't shown up yet, all you've got is belief to keep you going!

Here are a few things I've learned about getting through fear and developing belief:

Your belief must be greater than your fear. It can be a struggle, and there are days when fear wins, but keep paying attention to what's working for you. Acknowledge your successes, great and small. Authentic belief is built through repeated positive experiences, so pay attention. You want to develop positive beliefs, not more negative ones!

Believe in yourself--not circumstances. This one is tricky. If you haven't developed belief in yourself, it's tempting to place your belief in something else like a job, a business partner, the economy, or a certain opportunity. This can be good for awhile, but it's a simple fact of life that people, places, and conditions are changeable. Your success is ultimately created by you, for you. Be willing to take some risks, and be sure to claim your rewards.

All great endeavors will be tested. Facing one's fears can require tremendous amounts of self-work and courage. If it's something you really, really want, it can take years. But then at some point you make the leap into action and it's glorious! You're flying high and free. Then oops, something doesn't go according to plan and you begin to fall a little bit. That can be so scary! Setbacks do not mean you're failing. Use them as opportunities to deepen and refine your true beliefs.

You're a natural born flyer--the world's one-and- only "you." The magic feather of "belief" is the mind's way of remembering what is already true.

Jaya Schillinger