(Photo by Nathan DeFiesta)
Self-belief more than talent will spell the difference between success and failure in most anything. I’ve seen it work for and against first-hand time after time. Simply stated, the biggest obstacle to creating the life you want boils down to this: not believing you are worthy or capable of experiencing the dream you hold in your heart. Believing in yourself takes an unwavering trust and an enormous amount of practice.
We are so good at convincing ourselves why we can’t do something or aren’t “good enough” or “smart enough” to have or experience what we want. These are all just silly lies we tell ourselves because we fear what may happen if we actually succeed.
Without a true and consistent belief in yourself and your power, you lose sovereignty over your life. You sacrifice the greatest gift you came into this world with; your ability to choose the people, the experiences, the love and the abundance you crave. This is the ultimate power of believing in yourself.
Belief in yourself is not a switch you can flip. Belief is something you actively develop over time with constant reminders, continuous actions that take you out of your comfort zone, and by staying deeply connected to your inner voice.
If you’ve lost (or maybe never had) a strong belief in yourself… or you’ve been doubting yourself for years, here are five practical steps to getting you back in the powerful flow. Here are five steps I have borrowed from Liz Dawn, the CEO of Celebrate Your Life! that I have found helpful.
“1. Know you already have all the answers. Your essence, your higher self, your soul, knows all you need to know. Connect with that inner voice deep inside of you and follow its guidance—it will never steer you wrong.
2. Trust in the power of your choices.When you believe in yourself, the second-guessing falls away and you don’t need validation from others to pursue your goals or do things that matter to you. The more you trust in your ability to choose for yourself, the stronger your choices will be.
3. Summon your courage. When your actions stand in direct opposition to people, societal pressures, or “normal” thinking or behavior, it takes inner strength and bravery to continue on your path.This is your life and you get to choose how you want to live it!
4. Let go.Once you reconnect with your inner voice and begin making choices that are in line with your higher self, some people in your life may fall away. You will no longer seek permission or validation from others to do what you feel is best. You will feel empowered by your courage to gracefully release anything and anyone who doesn’t support you. This freed up energy is now used to focus on your goals and dreams so you can experience the joy of living your life fully and authentically.
5. Love yourself.You are your best guiding light, your biggest champion and your most trusted advisor. It’s so much easier to follow your heart, act on your dreams, and move towards the life you want to live when you love and trust yourself.”
Realize you already have all the answers. Your essence, your higher self, your soul, knows all you need to know. Connect with that inner voice deep inside of you and follow its guidance—it will never steer you wrong.”
Don’t be shy or play small with doubt. The simple act of believing is so powerful. Reread and think about this list twice a day for the next two weeks and feel the surge of increased power.
