When I lived in Johannesburg, a friend and I often used to meet in a park to walk her dog and chat. I really enjoyed that time together.
On this specific day, we were talking about studying further. My friend was considering doing another university degree, and she was trying to figure out if it was the right thing for her or not.
As we sat down on a nearby bench, I said to her, “I think it depends on the reason why you’d be studying. Are you doing it because you genuinely want to do it? If so, that’s a great reason. But if you’re doing it because you think it will make you feel good enough, then the truth is: no degree can give you that.”
You know when sometimes the advice you give someone else is exactly the advice you need yourself?!
This was one of those times.
At the time, I was facing some MAJOR imposter syndrome myself. I had just started my business, and that voice in my head kept telling me I needed to be older… more qualified… more experienced… before I could really offer anything of value.
(You know that voice?)
Even though my clients were seeing amazing changes in their happiness, I was full of self-doubt.
I realized that by telling myself “I’ll feel good enough when…”, I was making the mistake of thinking I could find confidence and self-belief outside of myself – in another qualification, or the opinion of someone else.
That simply isn't true.
Believing in yourself is ALWAYS an inside job.
So my friend and I made a pact: we’d start seeing our value, starting now. She started her own business, which is now doing very well, and I expanded mine.
And while I eventually did go on to study further, the reason why had shifted. These days, I choose to develop myself because I love to learn and to make a difference, not because I think it will make me more worthy.
Choose to believe in what you have to offer today – only you can give yourself that.
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