You’ve got to believe you can be a standup before you can be a standup. You have to believe you can act before you can act. You have to believe you can be an astronaut before you can be an astronaut. You’ve got to believe.
Interpretation
Believing in yourself is the first step to achieving your goals.
Eddie Izzard emphasizes the fundamental role of self-belief in achieving any aspiration. Whether one wants to be a comedian, an actor, or an astronaut, the journey begins with the confidence that it is possible to reach that goal. Without this foundational belief, taking the necessary actions toward success becomes significantly more challenging.
In practice
During a motivational speech to inspire students to pursue their dreams.
We stole countries with the cunning use of flags. Just sail around the world and stick a flag in. "I claim India for Britain!" They're going "You can't claim us, we live here! Five hundred million of us!" "Do you have a flag …? "No..." "Well, if you don't have a flag, then you can't have a country. Those are the rules... that I just made up!
It's okay to work for someone else; not everyone is cut out to own a business, and even so, working for someone else is a chance to learn how to both be an employee and an employer.
Growth always involves the risk of failure.
Like a great athlete, we must have a very clear vision of what we want to accomplish before we make a move. Vision, in preparation for an action, is as important as the action itself.
The fact that my environment influences my life so much - and that my environment is in my control - gives me a great sense of empowerment over my health and my life.
Cherish your visions. Cherish your ideals. Cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts. For out of them will grow all delightful conditions, all heavenly environment, of these, if you but remain true to them, your world will at last be built.
Every generation comes with a unique athlete, I don't think anybody wants to be the next Nadia; they want to be themselves.
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