How often has a lack of self-confidence, or a feeling of inadequacy, stopped us from doing something awesome?
I would guess that for lots of us, this feeling of inadequacy stopped us from:
- Putting ourselves into uncomfortable social situations were we might make new friends or start dating
- Starting a new business, creating a book or art, putting our ideas out there into the world
- Sticking to a new exercise, diet or meditation habit because we messed up (confirmation that we can’t do it, right?)
- Learning something new and amazing, like a new skill, because we might embarrass ourselves
- Being confident as we socialize with others (perhaps in the rare cases we do socialize) — a lack of confidence which might make them less interested in us
I’ve experienced all of this myself, and I know many people who know this lack of self-confidence and feeling of inadequacy very well.
It can plague all areas of our lives. And learning to feel worthy, learning a confidence in ourselves … it can change everything.
I believe that self-confidence is a mental habit that we can develop. And I believe that its opposite, the feeling of inadequacy, is a set of mental habits that we’ve developed since we were young — habits that we can train out of ourselves, with diligence (and forgiveness if we mess up).
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Source: Leo Babauta
Website: www.zenhabits.net