Yesterday’s post touched on the importance of being able to step into our potential. Part of that process involves being able to self-reflect about the direction we are going and jotting down some tangible goals to get there. Another part of that process is our internal dialogue – what we tell ourselves. Once we set upon a goal, are we fully supporting it with our thoughts? Or do we find fault with our plans? Do we convince ourselves we don’t have the skill, stamina or self-esteem in place to achieve what we intend upon?
Fault-finding is somewhat of a natural process – after all, we are often harder on ourselves than we are on others. Sometimes it comes from perfectionist tendencies, sometimes it is a learned response. It can be inherent in pessimism and it likes to drive our sense of esteem and agency. We can also find fault with others when we fail to see something in ourselves.
In any case, it doesn’t serve much of a healthy purpose for us if we don’t keep it in check. It has the potential to lead and when that happens, it stunts our potential. Henry David Thoreau says “The fault-finder will find faults even in paradise.”
We are much better served to catch when it is happening and pivot to a healthier way of thinking. Examining the evidence, allowing the rational brain to weigh in, being our own cheerleader. We can replace fault finding with faith and take a deep breath of courage. Stepping into our potential just got a whole lot easier 🙂
Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/@kiaramartin