When the only thing stopping you, is you...
You CAN get out of your way!
I’ve been there...and it’s terrible. Self doubt and anxiety so crippling you feel frozen in worthlessness and fear...even though you know better.
Whether it be starting a new project, taking a risk, speaking up, being vulnerable, or even sometimes just getting out of bed, there are days/weeks/months when your thoughts and emotions seems to be stuck on a downwards spiral of not good enough.
You know it’s untrue, but at the time, it feels almost impossible to break free, when the one you are fighting is in fact, yourself.
But you’re not alone in this feeling, and you will overcome. Even if you have to do it over and over again, like I seem to. I am still learning, but here’s what I’ve found tends to help.
Redirect your thoughts, stop thinking about yourself. Turn outward, instead of inward. The world is so much bigger than you, and you have an invaluable, irreplaceable role to fill. There are people who need you! Friends, family, strangers. You have an impact on others, and that is so important.
Take the pressure off yourself. There is nothing that can stop God’s plan for your life, and you’re not big enough to mess it up.
Reaffirm yourself, remember who you are: “I am loved. I am strong. I am cared for. I can do this”.
Stop comparing yourself to others. You are not them. You are you, and the only one who is you. You are unique, unlike any other, with gifts, talents, and a purpose custom made just for you. Comparison is the thief of joy, and stems from insecurity. Ground yourself, you are no more or less than anyone else.
The confines of the world are only man made, and also be man destroyed. Thinking, “I can’t do that because I don’t have this” is a toxic way of thinking. Rules are broken all the time, norms are shattered, and new things are always being born.
You do not have to understand it all. I am prone to trying to figure things out and find reasons for everything. But there are so many things that cannot be understood, and there is peace in accepting that
You don’t have to know it all. Sometimes it feels likes we have to know it all before we make a move or join the conversation. We stay where we are or we stay silent because we don’t feel qualified to take part. But the best way to learn is to get involved. No one knows it all, it is impossible. Learn while doing, don’t wait to get started.
Tell someone that you’re feeling this way. Don’t keep it to yourself. Get it out of you. Two are better in battle than one. Friends help remind us who we are, and that we are not alone. Feeling loved and cared for by is a great antidote for self destructive times.
The good news is that we always have the power to shift our perspective. Self doubt doesn’t have to win. Often the first step to change is simply believing it is possible - and it is possible to get out of our own way.