When you believe in what you're doing and use your imagination

“When you believe in what you’re doing and use your imagination and initiative, you can make a difference.” — thus spoke Samuel Dash, the steadfast lawyer, teacher, and defender of integrity who stood as counsel during one of America’s darkest hours — the Watergate scandal. In this simple but radiant truth, Dash reminds us of the ancient power that dwells within conviction: that when belief, imagination, and initiative unite in purpose, no obstacle — whether corruption, injustice, or despair — can prevail. His words do not merely urge action; they ignite the spirit, calling each of us to awaken the inner force that transforms conviction into change.

The origin of this saying lies in Dash’s lifelong pursuit of justice. As the chief counsel of the Senate Watergate Committee in the 1970s, he faced the powerful machinery of deception that sought to erode the public’s faith in truth itself. Yet, armed with nothing but integrity, intellect, and moral courage, he persisted. His work helped uncover the truth that brought down a presidency and restored a nation’s sense of accountability. But his victory was not born of power or prestige — it was born of belief in what was right, of imagination that saw a better system of justice, and of initiative that acted upon that vision. Thus, from his life arose this teaching: that one person, inspired by conviction and guided by creativity, can indeed make a difference.

In the ancient world, this triad of belief, imagination, and initiative was revered as the mark of heroes and sages alike. The warrior who believed in his cause fought beyond the limits of flesh; the philosopher who imagined new truths changed the course of thought; the statesman who acted with initiative reshaped nations. Consider the story of Leonidas of Sparta, who, with a mere three hundred men, held back the Persian tide at Thermopylae. His belief in freedom outweighed fear of death; his imagination conceived of courage as a weapon stronger than the sword; his initiative — his decision to act when others hesitated — inspired generations. Though his body fell, his spirit became immortal. So too, Samuel Dash reminds us, the spirit that believes and acts with vision cannot be extinguished.

Belief is the first flame. It gives direction to effort and meaning to sacrifice. Without it, the mind wanders and the will falters. Yet belief alone is not enough. It must be wedded to imagination, for imagination is the eye of the soul — the power to see what does not yet exist. It is what allows the reformer to glimpse justice in a world of oppression, the scientist to see flight in the wings of birds, the poet to find light in despair. Imagination transforms belief from dogma into vision. And when to belief and imagination we add initiative — the courage to act, to begin, to risk — then belief becomes reality. These three forces together form the sacred trinity of change.

Dash’s words also remind us of a timeless paradox: that to make a difference, one must often begin in smallness, in solitude, and in doubt. The world does not at first listen to those who dream; it resists them, mocks them, fears them. Yet every great movement of the human story began with one person who believed deeply enough to imagine something better, and then to take the first step toward it. Martin Luther King Jr., Marie Curie, Mahatma Gandhi, Galileo Galilei — all faced skepticism and opposition, yet they held fast to their inner flame. They did not wait for permission to act; their initiative was their declaration of faith.

But there is also humility in Dash’s wisdom. His words do not promise glory, but difference — that quiet, enduring change which ripples outward through generations. The true measure of success, he implies, is not applause or recognition, but transformation — the lifting of even one soul, the correction of one wrong, the creation of one act of beauty or truth. When you believe in what you’re doing, the outcome ceases to matter as much as the integrity of the act itself. The imagination keeps you striving; the initiative keeps you moving; the belief keeps you whole.

So, let this teaching be carried forward: believe deeply in the work that calls your heart. Let your imagination guide you toward a vision beyond what is, and let initiative give form to that vision through courageous action. Do not wait for the world to bless your efforts; the world changes because of those who act before it is ready. As Samuel Dash proved through his life and his words, greatness does not lie in the hands of the powerful, but in the spirit of those who refuse to surrender their faith in what is right.

Thus, remember, O seeker of truth: the universe is moved not by chance, but by conviction. Belief lights the path, imagination reveals the destination, and initiative walks the road. These are the tools by which every man and woman may make their mark upon the ages — not through noise or force, but through the steady, luminous fire of purpose. For those who carry that fire, as Dash once did, will always — in ways both seen and unseen — make a difference.