Yesterday I read a quote that made a huge impact on me.

It was from Charlie Chaplin, surely one of the greatest entertainers in history.

Here it is: "You have to believe in yourself. That's the secret. Even when I was in the orphanage, when I was roaming the street trying to find enough to eat, even then I thought of myself as the greatest actor in the world."

The reason it struck me so powerfully was that it made me wonder whether I was seeing myself as I am now, or as I want to be.

Throughout the last 1000 years, great people have given similar advice, from the Persian poet Rumi to Henry Ford: we must behave as if we already are the person we want to become. We must act like we are, before we truly are.

It's tough to do, because it demands an act of blind faith. And even arrogance.

Yet the frequency with which outstanding achievers throughout history have offered the same counsel, makes me certain that it's a more effective strategy for success than being 'humble', and downplaying our strengths to ourselves. And others.

We cannot create a brilliant future by seeing ourselves only in the present.

If your mind is the clay of your future, what are you creating with it?

This article is written by Siimon Reynolds, teacher at The Fortune Institute

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