Beliefs have the power to create and the Meaning Factcheck Usage

Beliefs have the power to create and destroy, and honestly, that’s the secret engine behind every success story and every failure I’ve ever seen. It’s not just motivational fluff; it’s a fundamental law of human psychology that plays out every single day.

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Table of Contents

• Meaning
• Explanation
• Origin & Factcheck
• Context
• Usage Examples
• FAQ

Meaning

At its core, this quote means that your beliefs are not passive thoughts; they are active forces that literally build or dismantle your reality.

Explanation

Let me break this down from what I’ve observed. The “power to create” part is what we all love. You truly believe you can land that client, and your brain starts finding all the ways to make it happen. You become more persuasive, you spot opportunities you’d otherwise miss. It’s like your Reticular Activating System—the part of your brain that filters information—gets reprogrammed. It starts serving up evidence to support your belief.

But here’s the kicker, the part most people ignore: the “power to destroy.” This is brutal, but it’s real. A deep-seated belief that you’re “not a salesperson” or “bad with money” will actively sabotage your efforts. You’ll unconsciously make choices that prove yourself right. You’ll avoid the tough calls, you’ll misinterpret feedback, you’ll ultimately destroy the very success you say you want. Your mind works to make your outer world consistent with your inner beliefs. Always.

Quote Summary

Context	Attributes
Original Language	English (3668)
Category	Wisdom (385)
Topics	belief (103), mindset (133), power (15)
Literary Style	succinct (151)
Emotion / Mood	provocative (175)
Overall Quote Score	81 (258)

Origin & Factcheck

This is straight from Tony Robbins’ 1991 book, Awaken the Giant Within, which came out in the United States. You sometimes see this kind of wisdom misattributed to generic “self-help gurus” or even ancient philosophers, but this specific phrasing is pure Tony. It’s the cornerstone of his whole methodology.

Attribution Summary

Context	Attributes
Author	Tony Robbins (102)
Source Type	Book (4032)
Source/Book Name	Awaken the Giant Within: How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial Destiny! (44)
Origin Timeperiod	Contemporary (1615)
Original Language	English (3668)
Authenticity	Verified (4032)

Where is this quotation located?

Quotation	Beliefs have the power to create and the power to destroy
Book Details	Publication Year: 1991; ISBN: 978-0-671-79154-8; Last edition: Simon & Schuster, 2013; Number of pages: 544.
Where is it?	Chapter: The Power of Belief Systems, Approximate page from 2013 edition: 142

Context

In the book, this isn’t just a one-off line. He lays it out as a fundamental principle right at the beginning. He argues that if you want to take control of your destiny—in any area—the very first place you look is your belief system. It’s the operating software for your life. Everything else, your actions, your results, is just the printout.

Usage Examples

So how do you actually use this? You have to get tactical.

For an entrepreneur stuck in a growth plateau: The moment they shift their belief from “This is a brutal, competitive market” to “My unique approach is exactly what a segment of this market needs,” their entire strategy changes. They stop competing on price and start creating value.

For someone in personal development who says “I’m just not disciplined”: That’s a destructive belief. Reframe it to “I haven’t found a system that works for me yet.” Now the brain is tasked with creating a solution, not proving a limitation.

For a leader trying to build team culture: If they believe their team is capable and trustworthy, they delegate effectively. If they believe they have to micromanage, they create a dependent, disempowered team. The belief creates the culture.

To whom it appeals?

Context	Attributes
Theme	Wisdom (1754)
Audiences	coaches (1277), leaders (2619), students (3111), teachers (1125), therapists (555)
Usage Context/Scenario	journaling prompts (32), motivational talks (410), self-awareness courses (7), social media insights (1)

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FAQ

Question: Is this just “positive thinking”?

Answer: No, and that’s a crucial distinction. Positive thinking is a surface-level tactic. This is about core beliefs, which are deep-seated and often unconscious. You have to uncover and rewrite those, not just repeat affirmations you don’t believe.

Question: How can a belief “destroy” something?

Answer: Think of it as a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you believe you’ll fail a negotiation, you’ll go in with weak energy, concede too quickly, and ultimately fail—thereby “destroying” the chance for a better outcome. Your belief dictated the result.

Question: Can you change a deep-seated belief?

Answer: Absolutely. It’s not always easy, but it’s possible. Tony Robbins’ book is full of methods, but it often starts with questioning the evidence for the old belief and deliberately gathering evidence for a new, empowering one. It’s a process, not a switch.