“Itâs not who you are that holds you back; itâs who you think youâre not.” -Unknown
I know this may seem obvious, but I recently realized I have the most confidence in the things that I do most frequently.
For example, I write every dayâand I have a lot of confidence in my ability to help people through my words. I identify myself as a writer, which goes a long way in motivating me to do this consistently and passionately.
I feel less confident when it comes to the business side of thingsânegotiating the contract for my next book, for example. I frequently reinforce to myself that Iâm not a businesswoman; and as a result, I rarely think or act like one.
While a part of me enjoys not focusing on money, I also realize we all need money to live, and thereâs a lot of good we can do with our earnings, for ourselves and other people.
Just recently, my friend Emmanuel wrote a blog post about receiving a generous financial gift from a client, and then passing it on to a friend in need.
When I read something like, Iâm reminded that my restrictive thinking not only limits my own financial stability; it also impacts my ability to give to others, whether I do that directly, or through my capacity to continually invest in this site.
Right then I realized:
Confidence doesnât only come from knowing who we think we are, and what we can do well; it also comes from believing in who we can become and what we can do better.
Weâre best able to do this if we consciously choose to see ourselves differently, and then act on that vision a little every day.
For me, this means recognizing when Iâm limiting possibilities by thinking, âIâm a writerâthis isnât for me,â and instead proactively choosing to create new opportunities, guided by the belief, âIâm a visionary, and thereâs no limit to what I can create.â
Itâs a tiny shift in thinking that can make a profound difference. Itâs amazing how simply adjusting our self-perception can dramatically impact our confidence and potential.
We get to decide what we do, create, and become in this life. But that means we need to be willing to ask ourselves: Whatâs the impact Iâd like to make, how do I need to evolve to do that, and what steps can I take to enable that, today and every day?
Photo by Andrew Girdwood
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