What could you achieve if you stopped doubting yourself?

Why is it so easy to spot potential in others while we struggle at times to do the same for ourselves?

This is the thing we see others’ do and we admire them. We begin to imagine ourselves there—and then we pull back.

If you’re reading this, you’re already highly accomplished. There are many big things you do with ease.

So, it’s not with everything, of course, it’s with one thing that won’t let go.

Our persistent struggles typically center on one main area or idea.

It might an aspiration to build a business to gain the freedom and feeling of independence that comes with. It might be a desired state of fitness with speed or strength and the freedom and the feeling of personal power that comes with. It might be a close, committed relationship and the freedom and feeling of being settled-in that comes with.

I mention freedom repeatedly here because we often want the thing—and we want to be free of the thought loop. It’s the worst carousel ride ever. I want this goal. But it seems hard, so I come up with reasons why not. Those doubts help me stuff it down for a while. I practice being thankful for what I have. But then that goal perks up again. And here come more doubts.

And we go around again.

When it comes to thinking about what’s possible for you, what you could do, what you could make, what you could contribute, you’re ready with dozens of reasons why not. And when you work through that list, your mind will come up with a dozen more.

Whenever I meet a new INSERT ANY ROLE….entrepreneur, manager, college student, mom, etc., I can pop ideas for them like popcorn. Whether they ask or not (and often they don’t), I get easily revved up about the all the real and imagined opportunities and possibilities before them.

In fact, I met a guy years ago at a backyard cookout. He was sitting across from me in a folding chair, koozied-beer in hand. I asked what he did for work. He hesitated then told me he’d opened a t-shirt shop with a couple of buddies after college. I actually knew of his shop and proceeded to gush all my ideas for how they could expand their business. On the edge of impolite, he stopped me and said, “I don’t like telling people what I do because everyone has all these ideas that we’ll never do.”