This is probably the most powerful affirmation you can make, the most empowering thought to hold in your mind or comment to hear from someone whom you look up to and respect. This belief opens up doors which would almost certainly otherwise be closed, locked and sealed.

For example, do you remember what her coach called out to Kerri Strug (gymnast) as she was about to perform her last vault in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia? Kerri had injured her ankle severely in her previous vault but despite that she proceeded to get a 9.7 and clinch the gold medal for her team. Bela Karolyi was seen and heard urging her on with this simple phrase – "you can do it"!

This phrase is simple. It is clear, concise and leaves no room for misinterpretation. It carries far more certainty and belief than alternatives which come to mind; "go for it!", "do your best" or "try your best" are weak by comparison to say the very least. The words which you say to yourself, or allow yourself to take on board from others inevitably trigger an emotional response in you.

For Kerri, hearing the words "you can do it" must have elicited an absolute belief in her ability and a determination to win. What would the outcome have been, one wonders, if Bela Karolyi had instead directed her to simply "do your best"?

I am certain that Kerri would indeed have done her best no matter what, but she would have missed out on the added internal appreciation that her coach firmly believed she could do it under the current circumstances. One can only speculate to what extent that added belief urged her on to overcome pain, retain her focus and perform to such a spectacularly high standard.

All top athletes believe that they "can do it" otherwise they would not be at the top of the game. It is this level of belief which sets them apart from the rest of the field. And self-belief doesn't only dictate your results in athletics and other sport; it is what sets you apart from the crowd in everything in life. Self-belief, self-confidence, self-esteem or anything else you would like to call it, is what powers success in everything.

To reach this high level of self-belief, one has to learn to challenge needling voices which from time to time can be heard in your own mind as they express their doubts or fears. This internal "doubting Thomas" has to be confronted and over-powered. He needs to have his ears boxed and be firmly ejected from the rooms of your mind, all the way from attic to basement, and sent out into the cold!

Sometimes your "doubting Thomas" will try to sneak back in, but you can, like a thermostat, intentionally set your mind and senses on high alert. You can learn to spot his shadows lurking in a corner, hear his hissing voice as he whispers to you, and smell his not so pleasant odor. By learning to detect his presence at the earliest opportunity you can easily clamp down on him, kick him out of your home and lock the door in front of his face.

This mental mastery can be learned by everyone, not just by "the chosen few". Hypnosis is an incredibly powerful tool in assisting you to train your mind to this degree. Hypnosis allows you to access your subconscious mind which is the part where inner beliefs and instinctive thought processes are stored. Simply my listening to a hypnosis mp3 you can build your self-belief and train yourself in mental mastery.

Roseanna Leaton, specialist in hypnosis mp3s for confidence and success.

P.S. Would you like to build your self-belief? Grab a free hypnosis mp3 from my website.