Too often, we underestimate our own abilities. If you ask a kid what they want to be when they grow up, you’ll probably get a big answer. In the past, I’ve heard kids mention being the President, a firefighter, an astronaut, or all three at the same time. Their imagination is ceaseless and inspiring, but at some point, it dies. I could rhetorically ask why, but I think we all know: self-doubt. We consider each bump in the road a failure, which only makes us doubt our own abilities. Every obstacle is seen as unsurpassable, and we give up, making it much too easy to lower our standards and let go of our dreams.

The only true failure in life comes when you quit trying. Until then, you’re only finding one hundred ways that won’t help you succeed. We cover our self-doubt with lies, telling ourselves that our dreams are “impractical” or “too big”. In reality, the only thing too big is the disappointment we feel when we don’t immediately succeed. We lack willpower and patience, and instead have an abundance of stress and insecurity. Why, though, is that insecurity there?

We’ve all seen ourselves succeed. We’ve all felt the glory of a success, no matter how small. The problem is we tell ourselves that that’s how we should always feel. We believe that if we don’t feel the satisfaction of having won, we’re doing something wrong. So we fight our habits, our training, and we try something new. And maybe these steps repeat themselves a few times before we move on to another goal, this one a bit smaller, maybe more attainable. This all turns into a vicious cycle and before long, we have no idea what we want to do with our lives anymore. What we should’ve initially recognized is that we aren’t always wrong when things aren’t going right. We are not inadequate. We’re something greater.

Just because you’re not succeeding right now, does not mean you won’t succeed tomorrow. Set a goal, work toward it, and if it starts to slip away, keep working. Fight for what you want, because if you give up, someone else will take your spot. Want to be the President? Fight for it. Imagine all of the kids who wanted to be President 60 years ago, but gave up along the way. If they had continued, imagine how different this campaign might look. Don’t let anyone, especially yourself, tell you that you are incapable of achieving your goals. No dream is too big. No matter what your goal is, someone has to do it. Why not you?

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” ―Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles