Self-doubt affects you negatively in all aspects of life. It gets under your skin and causes you to be more sensitive, take more things personally, and psyche yourself out before you even begin. Self-trust means you have a belief in your own abilities and are confident in what you can do. This a powerful virtue. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your own self-trust? Do you want that number to improve? Do you want better for yourself? Here are a few tricks you can do to increase that number.
Center Yourself
Negativity surrounds you on a daily basis. From the media, to disgruntled coworkers, to haunting memories from past experiences and relationships, negativity is always lurking. Stay present and focused on the positive. Go for a walk, meditate, paint, hit the gym, play basketball – whatever brings you into a positive healthy space, do it. Rediscover the beauty in life and restore your inner peace.
Make Promises That You Can Keep
It’s wise to set goals for yourself as there is power in focusing on achievement. However, setting unrealistic goals and then failing really does nothing for our self-trust barometer. Set attainable goals, in fact try setting personal goals first. Become your own best friend. Promise yourself that you will quit swearing or that you will finally get that cavity filled. Keeping promises to yourself boosts your self-confidence and with each victory comes a deeper trust.
Think Positively
Accept yourself, love yourself, and speak positively about who you are. Watch what you say and how you represent yourself to others. “I’m not good at math,” or “I won’t be able to understand this,” or “Maybe Mary can do that project, I would just mess things up” are all self-deprecating statements. All of these negative thoughts create a cloud overhead that, over time, engulfs you. It becomes the perception of you in the minds of others and starts to impact your perception of yourself. Be more understanding and accepting of your flaws, we all have limitations. The next time you are about to bash yourself, stop and remember that you’re human and life is all about learning and growing. Talk about yourself in a positive light and believe that you can do anything you put your mind to.
We have everything we need for change within us. Self-trust is a learned skilled that is imperative if you want others to put their trust in you. You are strong. You won’t always be right and you won’t always be perfect, but trust yourself enough to know that you are capable of facing anything head on. In the words of poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Self-trust is the first secret of success.”