Sylvia Odhner - Comics and Illustration
Does the Power of Belief Work?
January 15th, 2021











Comic Text
Does The Power of Belief Work?
The Little Engine that Could, derailed: I don't know what went wrong. I really thought I could!
The idea behind the power of belief is that believing something is true brings it into being. Now, this may sound like magical thinking...
Person meditating: I do believe in apples. I do believe in apples.
Narrator: What are you doing?
Person: I'm trying to manifest an apple!
Narrator: Why don't you just get one out of the fridge?
Person: Oh. I didn't think of that.
...but it doesn't have to be magical. It works best in conjunction with logical steps and problem-solving methods. And there's science behind it, like the placebo effect. You take a pill with no active ingredients, but because you believe it's supposed to cure you, you get better.
Let's say you're trying to accomplish something. If your goal doesn't seem within reach, your effort may seem like leaping randomly into the air on the off-chance that you'll somehow end up where you want to be. If you believe you can DO it, you're more likely to visualize the steps you need to take, and notice when you're on the right track.
Frustrated person: Now hold on a minute! I did everything I was supposed to. I believed in myself, I took the necessary steps, navigated countless obstacles... My business was all ready to open, and then BAM! A global pandemic came along and ruined all the progress I've made.
Narrator: Wow, I'm sorry. That must suck.
The truth is, the power of belief is not a guarantee of success. It's a TOOL that makes the chances of succeeding much greater. And if you see it as a guarantee, you'll be more likely to give up when it doesn’t get you the outcome you want.
(Someone uses a wrech called the power of belief to fix their car. Then they drive to a dead end)
Person: WHAT?!!
(They hold out the wrench) This thing is a piece of junk!
Plenty of things are out of our control, but a surprising number of things are within our realm of influence. We just need to become aware of it, and believe that even if nothing is certain, a lot more things are possible than we might think.
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About Me
I'm Sylvia Odhner. You can hire me to make comics like the ones on this site, or other types of illustration-based projects. For more info, check out my services:
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sylvia at sylviaodhner dot com