If you were to ask me:

"Steph, what is the MAIN thing that holds people back from reaching their goals and dreams?"

I'd hands down say "The belief that you can't get there."

In my experience, low self esteem is at the core of this belief.

You might have heard the famous saying by Henry Ford:

"Whether you think you can or think you can't - you're right"

I have a slightly different point of view - rather than believing in yourself, you need to believe in the possibility.

Because, if there's something I've learned from 15 years helping people achieve their goals, it's that low self esteem is something that impacts EVERYONE.

OK, yeah, some "suffer" more than others.

BUT, I've never met anyone that isn't filled with self doubt and had feelings of unworthiness (no matter how confident and successful they appear on the outside!)

I myself continue to have thoughts of not being "enough" .... not being successful enough, not being wealthy enough, not being a good enough wife / parent / friend ... you name it!

Do I let these thoughts talk me out of my dreams and desires?

To be honest, yes, sometimes I do.

However, my "why" and my "mission" in life to help as many people as I can to live the life of their dreams... keeps me going.

It's one of the ways I love to help people the most, assisting them with their self esteem and to help overcome self doubt, because I am all too familiar with how debilitating it can be!

It is at the very core of our vibrational energy and everything we do.

When we learn how to work around it (rather than waiting for it to go away!), THAT's where the true magic lies.

On "That's Life" (Geelong Community Radio) a few weeks ago, I discuss how low self esteem impacts us all... and what you can do to prevent it from talking you out of your goals and dreams.

Grab a cuppa and click the play button below to listen.

(If you'd rather read than listen, scroll down a little and give you my 3 most powerful ways to overcome self doubt.)

If you'd like to have a chat with me about how I can help you kick your self doubt to the curb, please let me know!

Three most powerful ways to overcome self doubt:

1) Know that your inner voice is FULL OF SH*T!

I would estimate that 95% of my thoughts (and I’m guessing yours!) are just simply bullsh*t. They just simply aren’t true!

I haven’t learned to turn them off, but I have learned to turn them down. They are still there, but I don’t listen or believe them. So why do they feel so true?

Because as kids, we were sold a lie. Well meaning adults (parents, teachers, the education system, our culture in general) who were encouraging us to be the best we can be - told us to “behave” when we were having fun and being too loud; "try harder” when we were doing our best, "practice more” when we weren’t enjoying something at all, that we were "naughty” when we were just exploring our environment… and the list goes on.

And when we do really well at something, we hear… “keep it up” or “now you need to bring that effort into …. (insert something you’re not great at)”.

The end result?

We believe we’re not good enough. Ever.

The truth?

You ARE good enough.

2) Let go of your unrelenting high standards and perfectionism.

Embrace the fact that life is a journey of continuing self improvement or self discovery.

Please, please, please - right now, let go of your need to be perfect. Because it isn’t going to happen!!

Bottom line, you’re imperfect. I’m imperfect. We all are. But you’re GOOD ENOUGH. You’ve got this.

3) Stop with the imaginary comparisons

The reason why I say “imaginary” comparisons is that when we are comparing ourselves to others, there are two flaws in our process.

Firstly, we generally only compare ourselves to others who seem to have more, be more or do more than us. This is a habit that feeds the low self esteem cycle.

Secondly, we make assumptions about what is going on for people. If you compare yourself to someone who seems wealthier than you, it’s possible they’re drowning in debt and struggling to pay every payment to continue their lifestyle. If you’re envious of someone who seems more successful in their career, deep down they might be feeling extremely lost and unfulfilled. I could go on… and on.

So, what to do about all of this?

When I find myself on the comparison train, I recognise it’s just a bad habit. I tell myself that I have no idea what is really going on for that person, and wish them well.

Then I look at my own life and find three things about my own life that I am incredibly grateful for. It totally changes my perspective and vibration - which is what ultimately what we want.

Let me know how you go with these steps, and pop in a comment below - what part of this article resonated most for you?

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About the Author
Stephanie Kakris is one of Australia’s leading mindset experts.
She has a Masters in Sport Psychology and 20 years experience assisting people to reach their potential.
She combines her extensive experience in mindset, emotional intelligence and the science behind the Law of Attraction to offer powerful transformation for her clients.
Her coaching and mentoring packages focus on changing from within, which boosts external results and rewards.
She is especially passionate about money mindset - she has spent many years learning and applying various techniques to master wealth for herself, and now she shares what she has learned to help others to build wealth and abundance.
To book a session with Stephanie, click here.