The self-doubt pandemic

How many times have we all wondered, “Am I good enough?”, “Am I pretty enough?”, “Am I smart enough?”, “Am I sociable enough?”. These doubts, beginning like this, often develop later into frequent self-doubt and to the formation of the belief of not being enough. Not being enough for this job, not being enough for my relationship, for my friends etc. Usually, these self-inhibiting thoughts develop during childhood and if we continue to reinforce them, they will become entrenched for the rest of our lives, while they are often part of what lies behind any form of addiction. This inner voice, of self-doubt and uncertainty that simmers within us, has an effect in many parts of our lives and greatly affects not only the way we think but also the way we feel and act. It prevents us from claiming things, taking risks and pursuing our goals.

So let’s think about what would happen if every time we doubted ourselves and questioned our abilities, every time we felt we weren’t enough, we resisted this thought. With this kind of energy we succeed in changing our mentality and our attitude and converting this dystopian conviction into a new, more beneficial perception of ourselves. The path to liberation from this vortex of self-doubt is the realisation of such self-inhibiting beliefs, when they manifest in our thoughts, and the active resistance to them by convincing ourselves that we matter, that we are enough, that we can make it!

In order to achieve that, you have to become your most devoted fan, your best friend, your greatest supporter or even the encouraging parent you may have never had. You need to understand when you are degrading yourself and remind yourself that you are worthy, that you are enough, for this belief to be implanted in your brain. Becoming an ally of yourself does not mean that you will not fail and never fall, but that, even if you do fall, you will rise again and again. Why? Because you will simply know that you are good enough, that you are strong enough to succeed, that you are enough just the way you are! Despite every failure, fall or stumble you must always be a loyal fan of yourself and always encourage yourself to continue!

Perhaps the secret to feeling adequate, confident and sufficient is not hidden in an excessive, arrogant self-confidence, a strategically constructed flawless and forged image of perfection that we try to project, but in feeling good enough, enough for ourselves with our strengths and weaknesses. What matters is the way in which we perceive ourselves and is much less related to external objective criteria. If we accept ourselves as we are with our strengths and weaknesses, if we forgive our mistakes and shortcomings and if we trust ourselves, only then we will feel enough. Only then will we understand that no externality determines our self-worth. If we can embrace our personal history and experiences, where we come from and where we are going, only then we will understand that only we can determine our value and set the definition for what being enough means.

The goal is to focus on our strengths, on what makes us unique and what sets us apart, and not on the one thing we may be missing. We must rid ourselves of exaggeration and hopeless efforts to achieve a perfection that does not exist. The essence lies in understanding that perfection is a gallows that presses and blocks us, not being a realistic goal. The real purpose is to evolve, to feel enough, enough for ourselves and to be content with our lives.

Photography by Simeon Maniatis (@simos_maniatis)

Related Posts

Osmosis - TEDx AUTH
Read More
The Cleaningans - TEDx AUTH
Read More
lets-talk-about-comedy
Read More