The Power of Beliefs: How to Liberate Your Potential
Most people mistake their beliefs for facts. Here's how to challenge them and unlock possibilities you couldn't see before.
Our beliefs are lies we tell ourselves. They can liberate us or limit our potential. Ask Serena William—at Wimbledon, she was her worst rival.
When Serena Williams strode onto the Wimbledon grass, her legendary power was never in question. Her serve was crushing. Her backhand was unstoppable. But she wouldn’t go to the net. She’d see a short ball, the kind that screams “approach,” and she would hesitate to volley and miss the point. Serena was not playing at her full potential because of a story in her head.
Her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, intervened not by addressing her technique but by addressing her beliefs.
He decided to fight a lie with another lie.
After a match, he told Serena casually, “When I see a short ball, I am so comfortable, I could sleep.”
Serena pushed back: “Why do you say that?”
“Because you win 80% of the points at the net,” Mouratoglou lied with conviction.
That stat helped surface Serena’s limiting belief. “I thought I was ter…
