When we notice ourselves going down the slippery spiral of self-doubt and self-loathing, the fastest antidote is to switch our thoughts to gratitude for all we have done well.
A friend’s recent job interview helped shine the light on this truth. Even though she’d been feeling down about her current position, the opportunity to take center stage and talk about her accomplishments from a career spanning more than two decades provided an invaluable reminder of an already impressive track record under her belt.
The outcome of the interview remains to be seen, but already she’s gained from the required self-reflection on an impactful career that’s led to where she is today. Without her noteworthy dossier, she wouldn’t even have been considered for this new job.
In our constant forward motion seeking to do and achieve more, to claim the authentic stories of our lives, it’s equally important to take routine pause to reflect on and be grateful for all that we’ve already mastered.
Whether I know you personally or not, I say with certainty by this point in your life, you’ve done some things of which you can be proud, probably things too numerous to count.
Seeing the glass half empty of what we desire to yet achieve can invite hopeless paralysis.
Seeing the glass half full of all we’ve already accomplished can help inspire and propel us forward.
Our achievements and the actions big and small in which we take pride add up to create a perpetual annuity of self-evidence from which we can draw when we need a reminder of the greatness ever seeking to express through us, the very life breathing each of us.
Who we already are and what we’ve already achieved is an essential foundation for who we are yet to become and what we have yet to accomplish.
My friend, Ryon, taught me how to help mitigate the risk of amnesia by creating a reference file to tap into when our memory might need a little jogging. All the accolades that come in the form of emails, texts and notes from colleagues, friends and family? They’re pure gold for helping us remember our greatness when our memory gets foggy. File them safely somewhere easily accessible. Read and re-read them when you need to draw on this account to supplement your self-annuity of goodwill.
Wherever you are in your journey, take a moment and reflect on the ground you’ve already covered. Be grateful for the gifts within you that helped get you here and find within them the will and inspiration to forge ahead.
The glass is always fuller than it appears at first glance if we pause to see it from a different angle.
