Sometimes while on the morning train ride, you see a guy in a suit carrying a briefcase distractedly texting as the train rocks back and forth. Silently, you imagine this man is some important lawyer who lives in a million-dollar loft downtown. You look down at your poorly ironed shirt and faded jeans and think, “This guy is so much better than me.” Newsflash: he isn’t, and no one is. Don’t stifle your aspirations because you imagine yourself as not being of the expected pedigree.
Somewhere, there is an intelligent, caring nurse who loves her job but envies the doctors she works with. A long time ago, that nurse wanted to be a doctor, but after being around doctors, these people who save lives and are respected everywhere they go, that nurse became discouraged and intimidated. She comes from a poor family and graduated from so-so college. The doctors she works with come from nearly famous families and Ivy League institutions. She feels she doesn’t compare to them and could never reached their status. She’s not only wrong, she’s ruining herself.
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Our self-doubts become insurmountable...
Certain professions have a mystical quality to them, and so we can’t picture ourselves making the achievement. Mentally, like the nurse I mentioned, we beat ourselves into complacent compliance. Our self-doubts become insurmountable mountains of barriers preventing us from attempting to make it closer toward whatever goals we’ve set. If you want to make it to the next step, you have to have a formula you believe in.
So, you’ve heard becoming a truck driver or teacher is hard work. You’ve read how intense the lessons are and how many people fail. Your heart sinks but only because you haven’t formulated a plan. Make a schedule to study; watch YouTube how-to videos; ask a friend for advice; study some more. Your life is like math: 1 plus 1 will always be two. That means, if you have a plan (1) and follow it (plus 1), things may not work out perfectly according to plan, but they will work out (2). You also have to have faith in yourself through spirituality.
Healing those old wounds heals the souls…
Faith and spirituality go hand-in-hand when it comes to success. Your mind has to be clear. You must be at peace with yourself and others around you. That requires you dig deep, question why you question yourself and explore your spiritual wounds. Self-doubters usually doubt themselves because of some deep personal issue. This makes them feel less than. Healing those old wounds heals the soul and makes success simply a side-effect. So, you must find a way to connect with yourself spiritually.
Spirituality isn’t nenecessarily or always about religion. Some people meditate. They find the calming breathing, silence and alone time to be peaceful. Others take a warm, foamy bath and sip wine. How you do it is up to you, but you have to do it. Find your inner wounds and heal them. Address your past and let your mind wander. In no time, you will shed the weight of self-doubt like thirty pounds on a magical diet and success will find you. No one is better than you, and you’re meant to be anything you want.
*Jermaine Reed, MFA is a writer from Chicago who writes fiction, nonfiction, local news stories and national news stories. For self-publishers, authors and other writers and creatives, Jermaine provides proofreading on Fivver. Please join Jermaine’s email list to get notifications on new blog posts, writing advice and free books. Get my recently released Science Fiction novel A Glitch in Humanity by clicking here.
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