It isn’t difficult at all to be demoralized by your own thoughts. It’s easy to feel like, “I am not good enough” or “I’m not strong enough.”
Such negative thoughts combined with the stress and pressures of everyday life can easily begin weakening your confidence in yourself and tearing your self-esteem to shreds.
I think that almost everyone has been in that situation. I’ve doubted my worth so many times. I’ve let my inner critic stand in the way of my happiness and success so many times.
“Do these people truly care about me?”
“Should I have taken on that task?”
“Should I apply for that position?”
“Am I good enough?”
These are just some of the questions that have been burdening me most of my life. They’re the reason behind my disappointments and failures. They’re the reason behind my inability to fulfill my true potential. They’re the reason behind my nagging anxiety.
Growing up, my debilitating inner monologue made me give up on a lot of goals and dreams. It made me question my qualities, my talents, my strength. It made me convince myself that I am not good enough.
My inner critic made me struggle to build and maintain any meaningful, strong relationships. It made me believe that I wasn’t smart and strong enough to fulfill my goals. It made me believe that every person around me was better than me in every aspect of life. It even made me quit my previous job.
It was only then that I realized that every disappointment and failure I’d experienced were the direct result of my own crippling inner monologue. And I could no longer let my self-doubt prevent me from fulfilling my true potential and living a truly meaningful and happy life. So, I decided to challenge myself.
I am presently in the process of changing the way I perceive myself and the world around me and regaining my confidence.
And if you happen to be someone that is going through the same, make sure you follow the following three rules that have greatly helped me change my mindset.
Here they are:
1. Don’t focus on your failures. Focus on your successes instead.
Most of us fail to see all that we have achieved in our lives since we let our mistakes and failures diminish our successes. But, what you need to understand is that you aren’t your failures. Your past mistakes and failures don’t define who you are, neither do they define your worth.
So, instead of reminding yourself time and time again how many times you’ve experienced failure, hold on to your achievements and the things that you are proud of. This way, you’ll stop feeling afraid to leave your comfort zone and you’ll be more inspired to keep doing your best.
2. Do whatever fills your heart with joy.
Every goal, passion, and dream you give up on since you think you aren’t equipped to fulfill it only makes your self-doubt grow bigger and bigger.
That’s the reason why you need to stop letting your inner critic control you and sabotage your plans, goals, and success. You need to stop allowing it to trick you into believing that you aren’t good enough. You need to quiet it by challenging yourself and doing your best to fulfill your goals until you finally get where you want to be in life.
3. Be patient and trust the journey.
Do not compare your successes to those of others. Do not wonder whether the grass is greener on the other side. Because we all have different journeys. And they’re all challenging and unique in their own way.
And your responsibility is to trust your own journey, including the failures and setbacks that you might come across. Believe in yourself too.
And last but not least, believe that you’re right where you need to be, and never stop moving forward.
