“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” —Maya Angelou
One of the biggest challenges I see in the majority of my awesome, successful, and energetic coaching clients is a struggle with actually liking themselves. No, it doesn’t happen all the time, but every now and then, it raises its ugly head. And they are not alone, it happens to me too. My guess is that it happens to just about everyone, although many never admit it…
It is much easier to be self-critical than it is to be self – liking. After all, no one is perfect, so there will always be opportunities to be critical of our own actions. When this happens, it can turn into a self – dislike. And this is where the trouble begins .
When you don’t feel good about yourself, it is very difficult to feel confident. Confidence breeds action. Self-doubt inhibits action. When you feel confident about who you are and your abilities, it forms a base that allows you to move forward with an idea, a thought, a project. And the reverse is true, if you find yourself doubting your abilities.
So, let’s listen to Maya, the former US Poet Laureate.
- Like yourself. Like everything about you. Your assets. Your imperfections. Like yourself just the way you are. If there’s something you want to change about yourself , sure – work on it. But don’t allow it to be a catalyst for you disliking yourself. Sometimes I have fun when speaking to women’s groups when I challenge them to ” like all the cellulite on your body!”
- Like what you do. Whatever you are working on, choose to like it. You are the owner of your attitude, and you are in charge of whether you like something or don’t. So whatever you choose to work on in the moment, choose to enjoy it.
- Like how you do it. This deals with not only the what, but the how. How you go about the challenges in your life is up to you. When you own your own way of doing things, it allows you to feel better about yourself. You’ve lived and interesting life, you have learned lessons, you know the ways that work best for you. Owning the confidence to be able to employ and enjoy your own methods forms a base that will allow you to continue to build on your own self-confidence.
Think about it – isn’t LIKING easier?
