The Little Engine That Could (Featuring Jasmine Clark)

Overcoming Self-Doubt - I thi...I know I can!

An excerpt from “The Little Engine That Could” written by Watty Piper

“The Little Blue Engine pulled up close. She took hold of the little train. The toys and dolls climbed back into their cars. At last the Little Blue Engine said, “I think I can climb up the mountain. I think I can. I think I can.”

Then the Little Blue Engine began to pull. She tugged and she pulled. She pulled and she tugged. Puff puff, chug chug went the little engine. “I think I can. I think I can,” she said. Slowly, slowly, the train started to move. The dolls and toys began to smile and clap.

Puff Puff, chug chug. Up the mountain went the Little Blue Engine. And all the time she kept saying, “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...”

Up, up, up. The little engine climbed and climbed. At last she reached the top of the mountain. Down below lay the city. “Hurray! Hurray!” cried the dolls and animals. “The boys and girls will be so happy,” said the toy clown. “All because you helped us, Little Blue Engine.” The Little Blue Engine just smiled. But as she puffed down the mountain, the Little Blue Engine seemed to say...”I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could.

Speaking points for this episode we’re derived from “8 Ways Highly Successful People Overcome Self Doubt” an article published on AmericanExpress.com Link Below:

https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/business/trends-and-insights/articles/8-ways-highly-successful-people-overcome-self-doubt/

1. Stop Making Excuses

Self-doubt often makes us rationalize a situation to fit our emotional state. We may be afraid to fail, afraid to look bad, afraid to take on more than we think we can handle. So we become adept at making a lot of excuses for why an opportunity that presents itself isn't a good fit. As Steven Pressfield says in Do The Work! Overcome Resistance And Get Out Of Your Own Way, "The enemy is our chattering brain, which, if we give it so much as a nanosecond, will start producing excuses, alibis, transparent self-justifications, and a million reasons why we can't/shouldn't/won't do what we know we need to do." Think back on opportunities you turned down. What reasons did you give yourself? Where these legitimate reasons or just excuses? Excuses are mental barriers we erect that hold us back.

2. Raise Your Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is one of the most powerful personal development tools in your arsenal. Make use of it by understanding the root causes of your self-doubt. What specific situations trigger bouts of self-doubt? If it's a lack of skill in an area, resolve to do something about it. For example, it may be a fear of delivering presentations. Or it may be anxiety at having to make cold calls. Just about anything can be learned. Go out there and get the training you need, or get a coach to help you.

While - Practicing Self-Compassion

While it's easy to extend compassion to others, very few people are able to temper their self-criticism with self-compassion. Self-compassion is simply being kind to oneself. Studies show that there is a strong correlation between self-compassion and positive mental health, such as reduced anxiety and greater life satisfaction, as well as higher self-esteem. Dr. Kristen Neff, of the University of Texas at Austin—dubbed the compassion evangelist—developed a self-compassion test. For example, when you fail at something that's important to you, do you keep things in perspective, or do you become consumed by feelings of inadequacy? When something doesn't go right, do you try to keep your emotions in balance?

Self-compassion develops emotional resilience. To become better at this, Dr. Neff advises a three-step process: Notice your own suffering, especially when it's caused by your self-judgment or self-criticism; don't be cold-hearted toward yourself, and remember that imperfection is a part of our shared human experience. As Neff puts it, "Where's the contract you signed when you were born that said that you would be perfect?"

3. Stop Asking For Validation

Seeking others' input and advice is helpful. However, if you are in the habit of continuously asking others what they think before making decisions on important matters, you might be weakening your faith in yourself. For example, if you're working on a presentation, setting up a website or undertaking a new project, and you continue to change what you have created based on feedback you receive, you might end up losing your voice and the end product becomes a diluted version of you. Take some advice, but at some point, make a decision on what feels right to you.

Journal Entry

1. What excuses am I creating for myself?

2. How can I be more compassionate towards self?

3. Define validation