Once upon a time someone took a moment to notice me.  I was one of millions of people in this world that they could have possibly noticed. Yet, they noticed me.  For a long while after that moment, I chose to question just what it was that they had seen in me. I actually believed that they could not have seen anything truly incredible.  I even questioned why they had noticed me to begin with. After all, I am only me and what could they have seen in me that I didn’t already know was there?

We All Doubt Ourselves Sometimes

Have you felt like that? I’m sure you have….and probably more than once in your life.  The reality is that far too often we downplay our own potential and choose to believe that there is nothing particularly special or  unique about who we are.  Yet, the truth is that we are all special and we are all unique.  There is a world that is waiting for us to be who we were meant to be.

Over time, the person who noticed me began to teach me how to stop short changing myself. They also showed me that they believed in me and because they did that; I also began to believe as well. Funny how someone else believing can be such a catalyst to move your life forward, yet it is.

Move Past Your Doubt and Create The Life You Want

My friend AJ Leon has been writing about his adventures as a Misfit through an email newsletter for a new community that he is in the process of building.  Last week there were a few lines in one of his emails that really made me sit up and take notice.  This was one of them:

We’re lucky, you and I, to live in a time and to be at a place right now, where our choices are abundant, where many times fear and self doubt are literally the only things subduing our ability to live a remarkable life and to produce work that matters and to find ways to help those in the margins.

So here is the thing.  You can sit back and let self doubt or lack of confidence make you a prisoner within your own life; or you can choose something different.  Something better. You can choose an amazing life, one that is full of opportunity – whatever opportunities you want to create for yourself.  Yes, it takes time to move through the self doubts, to begin to believe that you can create what you want and to get moving toward where you want to go. However, trust me – it is possible.  All you have to do is believe and surround yourself with other people who also believe – not only in themselves – but in you.

I am now solidly in a place of believing in myself and knowing what a gift it is. I also know how important it is to support others who are where I once was.  That is part of what I can do as I move forward.  It is only right.  In addition, it feels amazing when you see someone realize that they have what it takes to be themselves in this world.

My Commitment to YOU

Because someone reached out to me, I will reach out to you.

Because someone believed in me, I will believe in you.

Because someone listened to me, I will listen to you.

Because someone encouraged me, I will encourage you.

Because someone challenged me, I will challenge you.

So what will you do next?  Are you ready to stop doubting and start believing in just how amazing you really are?