Want to know something? I am just like you. I am a person who feels and worries. I make mistakes and I struggle. I wonder what others think about me probably the one thing we have most in common is that I lie to myself…wait, what?
How We Lie to Ourselves
While on the outside I smile and usually appear to have it all together, on the inside I question myself. Furthermore, I question my actions, therefore occasionally worrying about how others will perceive me. As a result, I have held myself back from my potential. I have allowed myself to be content, and to become complacent.
When we listen to those old tapes that play endlessly in our brains, we give them power over our actions. In most cases we are not even aware of their nonstop chatter.
If you don’t think you have them, do this:
- Set a time for one minute.
- Sit comfortably.
- Breathe slowly, in and out.
- Close your eyes.
- Think of a dream you have always had but never went after.
60, 59, 58……10, 3, 2, 1.
Why haven’t you followed those dreams? What was the little voice inside your head telling you? That you can’t do it? Perhaps you don’t deserve it or rather you aren’t qualified to do it? As a result of those old tapes, many of us have stopped dreaming and allowed life to happen around us, rather than within us. (To learn how to identify those old tapes, go here)
Now What?
Now I want you to envision what your life would have been like had you gone after your dreams…what do you see? How do you feel?
Want to know a secret? It’s not too late. Remember Grandma Moses, the famous painter? She began painting in her 70’s. When most of her friends were sitting idly in the nursing homes watching the minutes ticking by, she developed a new passion and created beauty for nearly 25 years. What made her different? I am not sure, but I would guess that she told those old tapes to go F__K themselves.
You have the power to do the same. You don’t have to settle for less than you were created to be. The phrase “fake it till you make it” makes sense. When you don’t feel the confidence, you stand tall, put a smile on your face and go for it. People may scoff, people may laugh and so what? Let me fill you in on another little known fact. The people who are doing the mocking are the same ones who are too afraid to take a leap themselves. If they see you fail, it will reinforce their own insecurities.
Confidence Within
The most successful people I know work hard and put their blinders on. They don’t care what other people have to say. If they do feel hurt, they don’t show their pain. The smile stays and their life moves forward. They have already developed the ability to fake it till they make it and their actions are proof of their determination.
Who do you admire? What characteristics do they have that draws you to them? Imagine what would happen if you mimic their behaviors and with your own twist. Watch how your life changes thus increasing your confidence with each successful step. Will you ever fail? Probably, but then again is it really a failure if you learn from it?
In conclusion, just go for it and drop me a line letting me know how you feel! After all, I believe in you!