“C’mon! Let’s see what you’ve got. Just take your best
shot…”
It’s a great line from a Styx song with a chorus that repeats
“You’re
fooling yourself and you don’t believe it. You’re kidding yourself, and you
don’t believe it…”
The twist in the song is that “fooling yourself” doesn’t
refer to an over-inflated ego or an unrecognized flaw in yourself. Instead, the
song refers to unrealized potential, to an angry young man’s failure to see
that his future, in reality, looks quite bright to those looking from the
outside.
Sure, there are people who fool themselves (or try to fool
others) with conceited over-estimations of their own abilities and
contributions. However, I think that more of us fool ourselves in another way,
by falsely believing we are less capable than we really are.
These self-imposed limitations cause us to give up or ,more
often, not even try at all. We convince ourselves that we shouldn’t try because
we can’t succeed. We protect ourselves from failure by doing only what we have
already succeeded in doing before.
As a result, our possibilities become narrower, basically verifying
that we are, indeed, limited.
This happens so easy because we are both creatures of habit
and seekers of comfort. The saddest thing is that we only are fooling ourselves
if we use our routines and limitations as security blankets.
In an age of rapidly expanding information, in a volatile
economy, in a time of confusion around the world… can you honestly say that
what you know and do today will always be enough? Real security comes from remaining
open to trying new things. We have to adapt and risking failure for the purpose
of self-development to achieve everything we are capable of achieving.
As you read this, I hear the excuses piling up. You are
fooling yourself if you are thinking “I can’t,” “I’ve never,” “I don’t know
how,” “I’m not…” The truth is that you can, you will, you’ll learn and you are.
However, remember it only becomes the truth when you believe it.
You Want PROOF?
When you were at your very lowest points – less educated
than you are now, less independent than you are now, and less experienced than
you are now, you did new things every single day. You built skills that went
way beyond your current capabilities. You were just a child. Even so, you took
your best shot. You tried. You tried again and again if necessary. You did not
fear failure, so you did not fail.
Consider what you are telling yourself.
Challenge it. Don’t just take the easy way out.
Break free from self-limiting beliefs and stop
fooling yourself. “Get up, get back on your feet, you’re the one they can’t
beat…”
TJ
