Do you ever doubt your abilities?
It’s natural every once in a while to struggle to trust yourself. But if you don’t believe in yourself on a regular basis, not only will it stop you from living your life now, it might hinder you from unleashing your potential for the future. What we believe about ourselves and what we’re capable of directly affects the choices we make and the risks we’re willing to take.
We all want to live happy and fulfilling lives, right? So why do so many of us lack confidence?
I spoke with a client recently about her current life situation and why she felt stuck. She went through so much heartache and worked hard to achieve the current success she has now. She’s traveled all over the world, faced a lot of discrimination, and still managed to have a wonderful career. She is currently trying to start her own business while starting a family. Talk about lots of changes!
The more I spoke to her, the more I realized that she didn’t believe in herself and the process of transformation. She’s not alone; many of us are quick to give compliments to others, but get trapped in the feeling that it’s not ok to do the same for ourselves. Why do we question ourselves so much, even when people around us tell us the opposite? Why is it so difficult to maintain a positive mindset about ourselves?
Take action to build self-trust
When we’re feeling insecure, it’s easy to let the emotion take over and forget that we can dig deeper and investigate what we’re thinking and whether it’s helping or hurting us. I advised my client that whenever she doubts herself, she should stop and scan her thoughts and emotions. Why is she saying these things to herself? Are they really true? I told her over and over again that she had come so far, and it would be a shame to not trust herself.
If you frequently experience self-doubt, I encourage you to do the same. Stop when you have these self-defeating thoughts and remind yourself that you are all you have. Have faith in yourself. Trust yourself. The more you do this, the easier it will be. You may even find that your limiting beliefs disappear over time.
“In order to create you have to believe in your ability to do so and that often means excluding whole chunks of normal life, and, of course, pumping yourself up as much as possible as a way of keeping on. Sort of cheering for yourself in the great football stadium of life.”
― T.C. Boyle
