Strengthening Beliefs

Why? Because there are several things I've come to believe recently. First off: that which you often tell yourself will become a belief. That's how the human brain works, that's why propaganda, commercials and self-talk can be so devastating.

Second is that experience is the best teacher. Usus est magister optimus in latin, something I have engraved in my laptop.
Why? Because only when you experience a thing yourself you fully understand what it is like, and you can learn from it. The knowledge won't come out of a book but is rooted deeply in yourself which forms character, self-knowledge etc.  You know what they say: "Everything that doesn't kill you makes you stronger".

There's this quote I really like about cherishing the tough moments in life:

"The tiny seed knew that in order to grow it needed to be dropped in dirt, covered in darkness and struggle to reach the light" 

A quote I've come to live by is the the main premise of the book: Zen and the Art of Happiness: which instills upon the reader the following belief

"Everything that happens to you is the best thing that can happen to you."
(in the sense that of all the possibilities, the place and situation you are in right now are the ultimate place for  you to be in order for you to grow. It's your challenge.)

These quotes, once believed have the potential to change your view of the events that occur in your life, and therefore change your life, because when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change! 
I have found that life is determined so much by how you look at things. Perception accounts for so much (unnecessary) suffering.
Therefore it is not necessary that these beliefs be right or correct. Most important is that the things you believe, support you, that they push you up instead of pull you down. I'm talking about self-talk, the thoughts that go through your mind incessantly.