Stop Selling Yourself Short!

Have you ever imagined how different your life would be if you did not talk yourself out certain opportunities that have come your way? Or maybe you came up with an idea but decided that it was not worth pursuing before you even made an attempt. As you’re reading this, your mind is taking you to a moment in time that you wish you could have back. I must admit that there is one opportunity specifically that I would give anything to have back. Fear stopped me in my tracks and I did not believe that I had what it took. We have all been there. Self-doubt, unbelief, and fear have paralyzed us all and stopped us from obtaining things that were within our reach. Why do we listen to that voice within us that plants those seeds of negativity? We sell ourselves short more often than we may realize. We want to be great, but we settle for average just because we are afraid to fail. How do we overcome this? What does it take for an individual to quiet that voice and take the next step into greatness? I will tell you a story of what worked for me.

I was in the gym recently doing deadlifts. I have not done this exercise in a very long time because I pulled a muscle twice doing it. Because I was being cautious, I held back. I told myself that I could only do so much and that I was going to call it a day. There was a part of me that knew I could do more, but I chose to let self-doubt creep in and it stopped me from wanting to progress. Thankfully for me, there were 2 powerlifters in the gym at the time who refused to let me settle. They asked why I didn’t put more weight on the bar and I told them because I hurt my lower back a few years ago. Then, something happened. One of the gentleman went to his bag and gave me his powerlifting belt (it was much thicker than the one I was using). It provided much more support and left me without an excuse not to go heavier. Those 2 gentlemen spoke words of encouragement and empowered me to do something that I thought I could not do. Before I knew it, I was pulling 50 pounds more than I originally intended and it was moving very easily. I was selling myself short because I was allowing my past to dictate my future. The only thing holding me back was me, but I would not have known that if I did not have the right voices in my ear.          

   I learned a valuable lesson that day. It matters who the people are that are speaking into your life. Are they speaking negativity and doubt? Or are they speaking positivity and words of encouragement? What you listen to matters. The words that you are hearing the most will subconsciously mold and shape you without you even realizing it. Even though I had that moment of unbelief, it was not hard for me to overcome it because I have conquered it before. The people I listen to are very empowering and are constantly pushing me towards greatness. There is no longer a fear of failure. If I fail, I will learn from it and come back even better than I was before. Selling yourself short is a just another way to make excuses. When doubt creeps into your mind, cast down those thoughts and replace them with positive affirmations. When an opportunity comes your way, go after it. If an idea comes to you, pursue it. Do not settle for average when you can become great. No longer will you continue to tell yourself what you can’t do, but you will show yourself and the world what you can do. 

-Shawn Williams