These days, it's natural to doubt yourself. I wish it wasn't this way, but it seems as if more people doubt themselves than believe in themselves. The way I see it, each person is uniquely talented in their own way and everyone was created with a purpose for life. Who are you to believe that you aren't fully capable of something? You have absolutely no right to believe that you are anything other than completely able of anything you set your mind to. You are able to do anything you want and you are able to be the absolute best at it. Once upon a time, I let myself believe the lies people told me when they said I wasn't capable. I let myself believe that I was better off as a wallflower and watched the peers that were more confident than me succeed in ways that I should have. I let myself believe that I wasn't smart enough, pretty enough, or capable enough to make something of myself.
I know that it's hard to keep your head up when other people don't believe in you. I once sat in a room full of people who told me that some people just don't have it in them to be a leader, and that I was one of those people. When you're a young woman trying to discover what it is that your purpose in life is, hearing that you don't have what it takes to be something important is pride crushing. It makes you question yourself and second guess everything you used to be so sure of. I decided from that point forward to let go of everything and everyone that doubted me. I decided that negativity wasn't pretty and that I needed to make a life change. I decided to surround myself with people who always supported me and believed in me, but most importantly, I started to believe in myself. I'm talking a stubborn kind of believe in yourself, the kind that never lets people get in the way. I decided that this life is mine and I am able to make something of myself that I am proud of.
When I started to believe in myself, I started to see my life radically change. I saw a difference in my social life, my school life, my work life, and my own personal health. I struggle with the type of anxiety that sends me into a type of depression that makes me wish I wasn't the way I was. I wish that I didn't always think the worst was going to happen when situations start to go differently than planned. I wish that I didn't cling to words that people say and that I wasn't so picky in the way they say things, because then I wouldn't always think so hard about what they say. I wish I didn't have anxiety, because in reality it is a crippling disease. I used to let this consume my life, and then I started to believe that I was more than what the anxiety and depression let me think. I began to believe that my anxiety didn't define me-- because it doesn't. As far as my social life goes, when I started to believe in myself, I started to see who also truly believed in me. I watched people who I thought were encouragements in my life, turn out to be people that really don't care if I succeed or not. When you believe in yourself, you attract people who believe in you too. In regards to school and work, because of my motivation to see myself succeed, I have seen a dramatic improvement in what I do. I started to believe that I am smart enough and it goes to show that when you believe you're smart, you can be. I also decided that, you know what, I can be in charge and I can be a leader. So what did I do? I became the head of an organization at my school that has my whole heart. Believing in yourself can change your life, it just takes that one step of faith.
Believing in yourself is so important because in this day in age, not many other people will believe in you too. Just know that no matter what anyone tells you, no matter what your illness may lead you to believe, no matter what you've always told yourself: you are capable, you are special, and you have it in you to change the world. And on those days when you can't find it in you to believe in yourself, I will believe in you for you, because I know that you have a purpose.
