It’s Not Believe What You See, It’s See What You Believe…Here’s Why
APRIL 28, 2025
We often think we need to see results before we can believe in something, but neuroscience shows it’s actually the other way around: Our beliefs shape what we see. When we choose to trust in our own capability first, we unlock clarity, confidence, and the ability to spot opportunities we’d otherwise miss.
Choose your beliefs. What you believe in will shift what you see, do and achieve.
I was talking with a client about growth the other day (shocking, I know), when they dropped a phrase we’ve all heard a thousand times:
“I’ll believe it when I see it.”
Maybe you’ve said it too. I know I have.
But here’s the twist—both research and real life suggest the opposite is more often true:
We don’t see to believe. We believe, and then we see.
It sounds like a ra-ra mindset mantra, but it’s actually grounded in science. Cognitive psychology has long shown that belief shapes perception. One classic study from Princeton and Dartmouth in 1954 asked students from each school to watch the same football game. The footage was identical. But each group saw the other team as more aggressive and unfair. Same game. Different realities.
Why? Because belief filtered what they saw.
Modern neuroscience backs this up, too. According to Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, our brains aren’t just passively recording the world—they’re actively predicting it. Based on our prior experiences and expectations, we’re literally shaping what we see before we consciously register it.
In short: belief drives perception.
And those beliefs? They’re either working for us or against us.
The client I was working with didn’t think their business was built for growth. They complained about economic uncertainty, regulatory pressure, staffing struggles—the usual suspects. But digging deeper, it was deeper, more personal beliefs holding them back:
“I don’t deserve to have more.”
“I can’t do things differently than we already have.”
“I’m not cut out for this.”
In the days that followed, every obstacle felt personal. Every challenge reinforced the story that they weren’t ready, weren’t capable, weren’t enough.
But something shifted when we talked again. I reminded them: “You’re already doing it. The question is, do you choose to see yourself as someone who can?”
That landed. It flipped a switch.
Once they believed they were capable—No Matter What—everything started to change. The same tough conversations and stretch goals that once felt like threats? They started to look like opportunities. The fog lifted. What felt overwhelming now looked possible. And new results shortly followed.
Here’s the bottom line: If you wait to believe until you see the proof, you’ll stay stuck. But if you choose to believe, better yet, to trust first, you unlock a different kind of vision. One where your brain finds the evidence to support your belief. Where possibilities come into focus. Where confidence builds momentum.
So let me ask you:
Where in your life are you waiting to see before you believe?
What would happen if you flipped the equation and chose to believe first?
Key Idea
Belief drives perception. We often think we need to see results before we can believe in something, but neuroscience shows it’s actually the other way around: our beliefs shape what we see. When we choose to trust in our own capability first, we unlock clarity, confidence, and the ability to spot opportunities we’d otherwise miss.
Takeaway
Choose your beliefs. What you believe in will shift what you see, do and achieve.
Build your Movement
Where in your life are you waiting to see before you believe? What would happen if you flipped the equation and chose to believe first?
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