A couple weeks ago, I got an email about an amazing opportunity. It was so big that I just closed the email because I wasn’t sure how to respond.
And I let the email sit for three weeks before responding.
What? Who does that?
Me, that’s who. I’ve written before about how I’ve suffered from self-doubt and fear of moving out of my comfort zone. And I do keep pushing and striving for things I’m dreaming about.
But that doesn’t mean the doubts don’t come. They come almost instantly. Sometimes (most of the time) it’s a whisper. Sometimes it’s a bit louder, particularly if it’s something I’ve never done before. But when I think about all the people I admire, the ones I know and the ones I don’t know, what they all have in common is the fact that they didn’t let fear stop them.
Right now my daughter is six and she’s at the age where other people’s opinions of her as starting to take hold. She’s not as athletic as other kids in her class and so she gets frustrated during gym class. She doesn’t want to be the slowest one. Or the one who can’t catch the ball.
As a result, I’m constantly building her up, letting her know that she may not be the most athletic child but she does have great gifts to share with the world. If she focuses so much on what she can’t do, she’ll be missing out on all the things she CAN do.
And in those moments that I’m talking to her, I’m finding myself absorbing what I say. I have to believe in myself just as much as I tell her to. I can worry that I don’t measure up or I can put my best foot forward and worry less about competing with others.
‘Cause this life ain’t about competition. It’s not about first place or the most followers or the biggest bank account or the best body or the highest GPA. It’s not about that. It’s about YOU. The sooner you realize that your only competition is being better than you were yesterday, the happier you’ll be.
I do believe in my self. I am proud tosay that everything I’ve ever said I was going to do, I’ve done..except 1 thing. And I guess when it comes to that one thing I do have some self doubt. Like you, I try my hardest to boost my daughter’s self confidence but sometimes I think I’m being a little hypocritical by boosting her up but not feeling the same about myself.