Hey Ana,
Thanks for sharing. After reading your post it seems like it is your thoughts are the cause of your mental block.

I have also been afraid of being judged in the past and since I cannot honestly put myself in your experience..I can only say from my own experience that what helped me is realizing that when I was afraid of judgement by others I was actually judging myself. I was blocking the full expression and potential of myself because I was afraid of what others thought. To be honest dealing with what I thought about myself is a full time job and considering what others might think is so much un-needed work.

As you said yourself “I can do a hell of a job”. Stick with that.

Something that has helped me in so many areas in my life, and definitely in situations like you’re having is to just be with the feeling. Watch the thoughts..let them come and experience what it feels like to just be with the thought and feeling instead of adding on top of the experience more thoughts trying to push it away.

Despite everything I have said though I always feel like you know yourself better than anyone who can write to you or make suggestions so always stick with what you feel in your heart.

Wish you the best,
Cody

• This reply was modified 10 years, 5 months ago by Cody.

Ann –
What I would suggest if you really want to come out of these negative thought patterns about work etc..is to start questioning your thoughts. Question the thoughts that impact your life the most. I think the teacher Byron Katie has some amazing belief worksheets that could be really helpful for you in working through it. The best thing about it is it’s very personal and you do the work yourself.

I’ve found in my life that although I could just come out and say “it’ll be alright” or “have confidence in yourself” I don’t know that to be ultimately true. What I do know is when you question the validity of your thoughts they will start to break down and you will see the ones that cause you the most pain as ridiculous thoughts and the confidence will come flooding in.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 5 months ago by Cody.

Hello Ana,

I’ve learned to stop my brain cold when it starts playing the whole “I’m not good enough” sound track at work.

Understand there is no good or bad. You are not good enough. You are not the worst either. However, what you are is THERE.. so give it every ounce of your time, energy and effort and you’ll be amazed by what you can do. You can’t play the what do my colleagues think of me game. Nobody wins and you’re just making yourself miserable imagining what they think of you(which doesn’t matter anyway because you’re just projecting your own fears-you can’t read their minds so don’t try). Just focus and work hard. You won’t have all the answers and there will be setbacks but if you are giving it all you have then there will be triumph. The key is to actually DO the work it takes to succeed. Don’t procrastinate and don’t let yourself fall into the avoidance pattern. You are in control of YOUR actions. You are so fortunate to be in a field where making mistakes is somewhat expected. Research Science is all about eliminating the wrong answer to get to the right one. 🙂
So get in there, roll your mental sleeves up and really give it all ya’ got, girl!

Take it Easy,
Ging.