On December 19, 1918, Robert Ripley was a sports journalist working for the New York Globe. It was a slow sports day, so he created an illustrated newspaper feature highlighting nine athletic accomplishments that seemed almost impossible to believe, but all of them were true.
The unusual stories attracted a remarkable amount of attention. Ten months later, Ripley turned the Believe It or Not idea into a weekly column.
What started as filler on a slow sports day became an international phenomenon. By the 1930s, Ripley's Believe It or Not! appeared in more than 300 newspapers worldwide and eventually reached an estimated 80 million readers.
Ripley published bestselling books, hosted radio programs, produced motion pictures, and opened museums. During the Great Depression, he earned more than half a million dollars a year. Believe it or not, a simple newspaper feature made Ripley extremely wealthy and created a brand that remains famous more than a century later.
But what made him so popular?
Ripley didn't just share extraordinary stories. He presented facts that challenged what people believed to be true. He entertained millions of people and became famous. But we have an opportunity to do something far more important than entertaining people with believe it or not stories.
We can help the people around us change what they believe about themselves.
HOW CAN WE HELP OTHERS CHANGE THEIR BELIEFS?
Psychologist Albert Bandura spent decades studying self-efficacy…our belief in our ability to accomplish specific tasks and goals.
His research demonstrated that these beliefs influence the challenges we're willing to accept, the effort we make, and how long we persist when things become difficult.
Bandura identified four important ways we develop stronger beliefs in our capabilities: experiencing success, observing others succeed, receiving credible encouragement, and learning to manage and interpret our emotional and physical reactions. Of these, successfully accomplishing something ourselves is often the most powerful.
Every success gives us new evidence of what we're capable of accomplishing. And that's where we can learn something from Robert Ripley. Ripley didn't ask people to believe something simply because he said it was true. He presented evidence that gave them a reason to reconsider what they believed.
We can do the same thing when coaching others.
Here's a simple three-step coaching process to help someone challenge a limiting belief and discover more of their potential while pursuing a challenging goal.
STEP 1. DISCOVER WHAT THEY BELIEVE IS POSSIBLE
Ask: “If there were one part of this goal you believe you could accomplish, what would it be?” This helps someone focus on what they believe they can do instead of what they believe they can't do.
STEP 2. DISCOVER WHY
Ask: “Why do you believe you can accomplish that part of the goal?” What strengths, experiences, or past successes support that belief? Then ask: “Why is accomplishing this goal important to you?”
The first question helps them discover evidence of what they're capable of accomplishing. The second reminds them why accomplishing the goal matters to them. Together, these questions help them strengthen their own belief that they can succeed and their motivation to try.
STEP 3. DISCOVER HOW TO TURN THAT BELIEF INTO POSITIVE ACTION
Ask: “How are you going to begin doing what you believe you can accomplish?” Now we're helping someone move from thinking something might be possible to experiencing success.
Taking positive action is important because each small success provides new evidence of what they're capable of doing. Instead of depending on someone else's encouragement, they're discovering reasons to believe in themselves. And each success can give them more confidence to attempt something a little more challenging.
Imagine how much more people might accomplish if they stopped focusing on what they believe they can't do and spent more time focusing on what they believe they can do.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT…WE CAN ALL DO A LITTLE MORE.
Let's Get Better. Together.
Bill Durkin, Founder
One Positive Place
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