Only belief can bring confidence.

The above are pictures of me on my motorbike during my younger days. In a previous post is a photograph of an older me.

And here I am with one of my favourite students who could speak English very well.
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Have you seen those advertisements in which they show a fat guy being transformed into a slim, muscled one with the stomach muscles clearly defined, chest muscles taut and hard, big strong shoulders and arms? Yes, we see them in advertisements which claim to give any obese person such a body within a certain period of time with either a slimming diet or some kind of device which is not supposed to develope muscles.

Whenever, I see such an advertisement, I always wonder how the owners of the advertisement could expect people to believe that they can achieve such a ridiculous result.

Come on! If the method used does not involve some kind of exercise which can build muscles, how do such muscles come about from someone who has always been obese? Do these advertisers mean to tell us that such well defined muscles are just below the fat of obese people?

I have been exercising almost all my life. In school, I have done cross-country running, 800 metres, round-the-house relays, gymnastics, football, rugby and tae-kwon-do but I have never had such beautiful stomach muscles as the ones advertised.

As a teacher, I have been a very active Kedah state gymnastic coach as well as a physical education teacher. Although I had no weight problem, I never had those prominent stomach muscles.

Today, in retirement, I walk briskly up a hill, run fast at level ground at the top and do all kinds of exercise as I descend every morning for a little more than an hour. Yes, I have a slim, enviable shape but no well-defined muscles, except perhaps the legs.

So, I was indeed truly surprised that people who go through such slimming therepy are able to achieve such fantastic results.

Others may believe it can happen. I don't know. I just cannot believe it. I mean, well-defined muscles only come people who carry weights, do daily tough manual tasks, practise high-wire circus acts and martial arts exponents who practise powerful moves daily. Certainly not merely through a simple no-sweat slimming therapy.

What I am saying is that such advertisements should make people believe the results are possible.

When we advertise, we are selling something. In order to sell, we must get the targeted customers to believe. If the pictures of the results, no matter how attractive they may be, are difficult to believe, can the results be good? Can it give the targeted group the confidence to believe in your product?

In life, every individual also sells himself/herself. What you says or claim must be believable. Do people believe in you? Do you give them the confidence to rely on you for certain results, to expect that you would deliver whatever you promise?

For example, if I claim to be an English Language teacher who can help your son improve his English Language proficiency but my speech or writing in the language is full of mistakes, would you believe me? Would you expect me with my my broken English to deliver the expected result?

Certainly not! You must be really naive, if you do.

If I claim I can walk briskly up a hill and run at certain parts of it but I am grossly overweight, would you believe me? Certainly not!

And getting people to believe in us is of utmost importance as people act just on belief, even though the belief can be wrong sometimes.

And belief in oneself is what brings us to the achievement we become capable of. It is through belief that confidence and courage takes us against any challenge that life throws at us.