When I am filled with self-doubt, it makes it impossible to succeed in anything. Self-doubt fills my body, mind and thoughts with anxieties. I convince myself that “I can’t do that, I’m not capable of that, I wish I could do that, why can’t I seem to change my habits, that person is more knowledgeable than me, in better shape, stronger, smarter, I can’t pull myself out of this hole, that person has it easier than me, etc”. We are all filled with self-doubt and negative feelings at some point. The difference is what we do to get out of the circle of repetitive negative thoughts.
When I ran this past 5k on Saturday, I had set a goal for myself to set a personal best. I started to doubt myself and the goal that I had set. I was running and feeling the “self-doubt rat race”. It came to that point and I reminded myself that “I can do this, keep pushing through, keep breathing, don’t stop and walk, you are capable of this”. I had a decision to make. Give up on myself and start walking when I was feeling uncomfortable and incapable of achieving a goal I thought was impossible or, believing in myself and my abilities and keep pushing through even though I felt uncomfortable and vulnerable in my thoughts. This is where the positive self-talk comes into play. Here is me pulling myself out of self doubt and trying to keep up with a very strong marathon runner. Reminding myself to keep going.
Even when it might seem impossible!
If I want to be the best, I have to work for it. If I want to get in shape, I have to work for it. If I want to get stronger, fitter, leaner and healthier, I have to work for it. If I want my life to go in a more positive direction, I have to find the people that exude positivity and believe in myself and surround myself with that. Even though sometimes being around positive people make you feel badly about yourself because you are not in the positive place you want to be. The common issue here is “I”. If I don’t believe in it, if I don’t work for it and if I don’t push myself and stop making excuses it will never happen. I am the only person with the power to change my life.
I have not been dealt the easiest life. There are people with worse experiences than mine. From the outside, it would appear that life is and has always been perfect for me. That is not reality. We all have decisions to make. I can decide to feel sorry for myself because of the terrible things that have happened in my life, I can decide to be bitter at everyone who appears to be “doing better than I”, feel like I was dealt an “unfair” hand in life and make my life worse than what it actually is. I decide. I choose to push through it and remind myself of the positive “self-talk”.
Everyone is walking around trying to figure out life, trying to be the best they can be and trying to deal as best as they can with our own “personal demons”. When you are feeling down, doubting yourself and your life, training, health, nutrition is not going as planned, decide what it is that YOU are going to do about it.
Stay true to yourself and what you believe in. Remember there will always be people who are better at things than you. Be thankful these people are in the world to help you continue to strive at being better at everything. Remind yourself to correct your thoughts. Stop the negative thinking and change it to I can! Work at it and you will notice an incredible circle of positive things that will start to happen in your life.
Be your best you. Not a version of what someone else is or what you think you want to be. What’s holding you back? As always, thank you for reading. Please leave your thoughts and comments.
