Breaking Down Common Advice: Believe In Yourself!

Believe in yourself!

It's gotta be up there among the most given pieces of advice in history. And I'm here to remind you that you absolutely, 100% should believe in yourself.

What I'm hoping you'll take away from it this time is a slightly different perspective on what that can look like.

Believing in yourself traditionally looks like knowing, with absolute certainty that you are capable and prepared to handle any situation that comes your way. And that's simply not how life looks a lot of the time. I'd reckon it's not how life looks a good 95% of the time! The cool thing about life is that we only go through it once, so everything we do is a unique situation. The sucky thing about life is that exact same sentence with one word changed. 

My point is, believing in yourself, while incredibly sound advice, is generally easier said than done. Mostly because we haven't fully broken down what it looks like when you do. So here are some examples of believing in yourself that maybe don't come to mind first:

Believing in yourself can look like taking a break.

It can be a break from anything, really. A bad relationship. A long training program. A vacation (or stay-cation!). A walk around the block on a hectic day at home. 

Taking a break sets you up for sustainable success. If you're trying to maintain an "on all the time" work ethic, you're absolutely going to burnout. When you're burnt out, you aren't able to produce the results you need to and it will set you back further than some well placed breaks may have.

If you're not taking time by yourself because your relationship may fall apart if you do, have I got news for you, sis. If you are trying to serve others at the expense of yourself, you're not able to serve them well.  Give the person of the other side of your relationship some credit. They don't need you all the time. Your partner can handle their adult self. Your friend has other friends. Your child can watch some YouTube videos while you take a bubble bath. And know that when you come back, you will be more prepared to serve those you love than if you'd just "powered through".

I don't have any kind of expertise in fitness, but I'm like 99.99% sure that every trainer ever will tell you that you will have better results if you take your rest days. Trust your body to show up for you. Take care of it.

Believing in yourself can look like raising your hand and asking for help.

No one has honestly ever had all of the answers. And anyone who is claiming to is lying because they're afraid they'll be found out as a fraud. They don't believe in themselves! 

We are not meant to travel through life alone. You are not meant to start a new job and just know how everything works. It takes time, and the people who were there before you all had to learn, too.

You cannot expect someone to just know that you need help, either. Believing in yourself requires finding the competence to know where you are struggling and the confidence to ask for help in those areas.

Believing in yourself can look like saying "no."

You know your strengths, and what you've been working toward. You know your weaknesses, and where you don't provide much value.

For example: I have a pretty strong theatre background, especially in behind-the-scenes work. I am someone who can director a play, start to finish. I can also confidently design sets and costumes. What I cannot do is write a brand new play. I don't do original ideas. (Is that something I should be saying as a blogger? Oh well, it's happening.) I would never ever take a job to write a new idea for a sitcom (I mean, like, if someone would even consider me for that, which they don't, but work with me here). I would totally help design the set, and even flesh out some character profiles. But I am not the person you want as a visionary. 

And the stress of doing something I'm simply not good at does not compare to the satisfaction I get from serving others in ways I excel.

That is not to say that you shouldn't work to improve your skillset, but it is to say that turning down opportunities because you know they wouldn't serve you or the person offering them is more than okay.

Believing in yourself is not as easy as it seems, but it is absolutely worth it. If you're struggling, take some time and see where you maybe need to actually start believing in yourself as you are, and not just as you think you need to be. The growth waiting for you there is invaluable.

And friends, you are worthy and capable of achieving your wildest dreams.

See you soon!