The Lie

So right now I’ve been reading the most amazing book because I loveeeeee self help books. It’s called Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis ( you can find the book here and her amazing website right here). I’m taking a lot from it but I wanted to share my own lie we tell ourselves. It’s a mashup of I’m not ready and I’m not good enough.

Who’s said those things to yourself? To other people? Even bosses?

One of things I’ve taken away from people much wiser than myself, is they wish they hadn’t skipped the opportunities that they did all because they doubted themselves. So why are you? Why are you letting what could be the best moments of your life pass you because you’re lying? I’m telling you from personal experience it’s not worth it. I want to share with you some opportunities that I let pass by because of tricking myself into those lies. ( I want to point out though that I don’t regret my decisions. It’s just in retrospect if I had jumped they would’ve been great times.)

• Not trying out my senior year for competitive choir. I had been singing in choir since about the 5th grade all the way to junior year. The lie I told myself junior year was that I wasn’t a good enough singer to try out for senior choir. I bought it hard core too.
• I had an opportunity in my very early 20s to take a job abroad in China. How exciting right! I just had to practice Mandarin. I lied to myself that I would never be ready to translate and therefore never followed through.
• And a couple hundred more…

In the last couple years I’ve realized these lies in myself. In the industry I was in, it was pretty dog eat dog world and no one was indispensable. Every time I was asked to do a task or ready for a promotion I lied. I faked my 1000% confidence in myself that I was ready for anything they wanted to throw at me. In the last four years I’ve done so much before I thought I was ready, or things I didn’t feel qualified enough for, and every single time they’ve worked out in my favor. I attribute that to not only being able to fake my confidence and know when to ask for help but most importantly not letting fear stop me. That’s where those lies derive from, fear. To give you some inspiration to conquer fear and stop telling yourself those lies here’s a couple things I’ve done despite those lies:

• Honestly, the relationship I’m in now. I had some help with this from my amazing guy but for a long time there I practically KNEW I wasn’t ready to date again. Let alone be good enough for someone else! I was too damaged, had my walls too high. But yet again, I was lying to myself and now I’ve got this great guy who helps me be a better person.
• Yoga Teacher Training. For me the signing up wasn’t a hard decision to make, it was quitting my full time job to devote myself to training. That’s when I immediately started doubting if I was going to be good enough to finish this training and be able to teach. That’s when I questioned whether I was ready to make this career change. Just after my first weekend (It’s a 9 month program) I laughed at those lies! Of course I’m badass enough to not only complete, but teach it.

There are tons of other lies like these we tell ourselves that end up just being ridiculous. Don’t let them fool you any longer. You are more than enough and ready for anything.

Can you identify any lies in your own life?

Much love, Ali