The Power of Self-Belief: Layne Beachley (Full Transcript)

Full text of world champion surfer Layne Beachley’s talk: The Power of Self-Belief at TEDxStHildasSchool conference.

Best quote from this talk:

“Ultimately it’s choice, not chance, that determines our reality.”

Listen to the MP3 Audio here:

TRANSCRIPT:

Layne Beachley – World champion surfer

Good morning.

Am I on? Yes, I’m on! Don’t fall asleep down there, okay girls. You look very comfortable.

So I’m thrilled to be here today, and I’m going to talk about the power of self belief.

So the most magnificent being you will ever be is YOU. And if you’re not going to take my word for it, then maybe take it from Dr. Seuss. Because today you are YOU; it’s truer than true. And there’s no one alive that’s more youer than YOU.

So if you were to open up your mind and believe in yourself a lot more, what would your world look like? If you believed you are magnificent, if you believed in your ability to overcome challenges and obstacles. If you believed in unlimited potential and possibility. And if you believed that you have the ability to shape and create your reality, what would your world look like?

And are you willing to step into that aspect of yourself? Are you willing to give yourself permission to be the best versions of you?

That photo on the screen behind me is the moment I claimed my 7^th World Title. I had to step into believing to be the best version of myself. It’s the moment I actually stepped into the history books. I became the most successful female surfer of all time; permission to brag.

I did something that not even the king of surfing Kelly Slater can do. I won six World titles in a row. And so I had to believe in myself. But it’s our self-limiting beliefs that actually create the lives that we live.

And if you want to understand what you believe, you just have to ask yourself: what you want. And then the thought that follows that is actually what you tend to believe. Your yeah, buts, your but ifs, are your beliefs.

Winning my seventh world title taught me a lot about myself. It taught me a lot about getting out of my own way. It taught me a lot about believing in myself. It taught me a lot about trusting in my instincts and ability. And it taught me about trusting in ease and grace.

Because, like you, I used to think that success required a whole lot of struggle and trouble and challenge.

Oprah Winfrey once said, and all thought leaders say this: you don’t manifest what you want; you manifest what you believe.

Now to give you a little bit of background about my life, I grew up on the northern beaches of Sydney. I actually grew up at a beach called Manly; anyone familiar with Manly Beach? Yes, it’s the most appropriately man-beach in the world.

And I grew up as the only girl surfer down at Manly beach. These photos of me is a four-year old surfing down at Man Town, I refer to it as… this is actually on the harbor side. I’m waiting for the fairies to come in to create boat wave me to surf on.

I started surfing as a four-year old down at Manly and it was a place that I felt truly connected to. The ocean is something I still feel truly connected to. It’s where I resort to every day to get a sense of balance and a sense of freedom.

And so when I started surfing as a four-year old, it wasn’t an environment that was very welcoming, or a place that was very encouraged for women to consider.