Don’t Dim Your Personal Power

High achievers often have high expectations of themselves. That’s a good thing as it is that drive to constantly reach for the stars that helps us stretch and grow. But sometimes that can also cause us to be too hard on ourselves. We down play what we’ve achieved and how we did it. By doing this, without realising it, we unconsciously dim the personal power that’s inherent in all of us.

A big part of being resilient is to always remember our personal power, and to use it to ignite our self belief when we need it most.

You’ve probably heard the quote “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think”. I suspect you think this quote is a little trite and clichéd because it’s been shared so much on social media. And yes, I know it originated from a Disney movie, but that doesn’t mean we should dismiss it as entertainment fluff. Because I think there’s some real wisdom here.

Let’s face it. We’ve all been through ‘stuff’. Unless you grew up as a hermit living in a cave, your life would have been filled with many emotional highs and lows. It’s easy to celebrate the good times. But often it’s the toughest moments in our lives that we learn how strong we really are.

Recently I was reminded of my own personal power. Powerful qualities about myself that I had forgotten, or chose to overlook in my desire to go faster, further. And it was interesting that these qualities were pointed out by someone I had met only a few times in recent months, yet was astute enough to note them after I finished a presentation recently. For that I am truly grateful to him and I’ve now added a page into my Vision Board to remind myself of these qualities that I know are there, but at times have forgotten.

We each have within us more strength then we know. Sometimes we need to see ourselves as others do, with a less critical eye so that we can see these qualities more clearly.

If you’re open, it’s worth revisiting some of the most challenging moments in your life. See if you can identify some traits that you may not have recognised in the past. Give yourself a pat on the back and acknowledge those strengths within you.

The next time you’re being too hard on yourself, recognise that you are dimming your own personal power. Instead remind yourself that you are indeed stronger than you think.