THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO STOP SAYING…

Everyone has that one thing they know they’re good at. Think about it…maybe you’re really good at math and can compute large digits in your head. Or, maybe you can run faster than anyone you know. Perhaps you sit down at the piano and can play Bach flawlessly. No matter what it is, and no matter how humble you are about it, deep down…you recognize your great ability, and no doubt, should be proud of it. Now, think of something you know you’re not good at. There’s a high chance that this list is a lot longer. It’s possible that you’re not good at waking up early, you’re not good at singing, you’re not good at giving advice, you’re not good at push-ups, and so on. And, when talking to others, we tend to emphasize the things we don’t excel at. Even if someone points out how good we are at something, and. it makes us feel good, it’s easy to get embarrassed and answer with “no” or “I’m not as good as you”. That’s human nature.

For a long time, I always said things like “I’m just not good at math” or “sports aren’t my thing”. Often times, our belief that we are not “good” at something, comes from a couple bad experiences. And, by saying “I’m not good at *whatever*”, all you’re doing is validating it, giving your so-called weakness—power.

The more you say something, the more you believe it. If I keep saying “oh, I’m not athletic”, I’m closing myself off to a huge entity. I don’t try out for volleyball with my friends or play tag at the park because “I’m not athletic”. In the end, by typecasting yourself as one thing, you are inhibiting your own growth.

In brief, stoping saying “you’re not good” at something, or that “it isn’t your thing”. As I previously mentioned, there will always areas of life you are better at and things you have to work more at to be successful. But, just because it takes more work, doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing. So, if I am the last one to finish doing laps during swim practice, at least I’m there, instead of sitting on the couch at home saying “I’m just not good at it”.

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be” -Lao Tzu

Happy Living ❤

Featured image by @austinchan on unsplash.com