Trust yourself
Long ago, when I lived in LA, I was a regular patron of the YMCA. I loved the group exercise classes. My favorite classes were the ones with tons of choreography and complicated moves—it felt like I was dancing again. As we learned a new combination, I noticed two different groups. One group never took their eyes off the instructor. Spinning, turning—the moves didn’t matter. These people craned their necks in the most unnatural positions to always keep an eye on the teacher. This was also the group that never quite picked up the choreography, always a step or two behind. The second group was a bit more adventurous. When the teacher turned or spun around, this group broke eye contact, felt the beat of the music, and trusted themselves to do the “dance.” It wasn’t perfectly executed, but the second group always learned the moves faster and actually enjoyed the class.
There was a key difference between the groups: one trusted themselves, and the other didn’t.
Trust yourself.
No problem, right?
Truthfully, it can be a difficult thing to do, especially when you are feeling unsure or inadequate.
I was reminded of the need to trust myself this week…but instead of exercising, it involved my car and my GPS.
I was driving to an unfamiliar elementary school in a neighboring city, so I was relying on my GPS to get me to my destination. In full disclosure, an “unfamiliar elementary school” is actually one that is about 3 1/2 miles away from my house. I was not driving into the great unknown. The neighboring city also sounds more exotic than it was. It was literally the next town over, where I drive multiple times a day.
The GPS told me to turn left. I was surprised at the suggestion—the turn would put me in a neighborhood that I have driven through multiple times to go home. HOME.
Although I questioned the accuracy of the GPS, I turned.
Oh yes.
I turned.
Even though I knew it wasn’t right, I followed the directions precisely. Stupidly, the GPS led me on a little rectangular jaunt through the neighborhood. It was a complete waste of time and gas. Then I had to backtrack a bit to make another left turn onto the road that was a mere 100 yards in front of me at the beginning of the GPS-led trip. What was I doing?
Well, I honestly didn’t know where the elementary school was. That one unknown was all it took to really rattle my confidence. In a moment of panic, I never took my eyes off the blue GPS line. I was acting like someone driving in a new city! In actuality, I was barely two miles from my house. I knew enough about the area that turning left was NOT the efficient way to go. I simply forgot to trust myself.
Trust yourself.
Our lives have a lot of unknowns. I, for one, don’t love uncertainty and unknowns. (Remember, I am the girl who reads the last page of a book so I can be sure of the outcome). I want sure things and absolute guarantees! Because of this, the GPS is a welcome friend for me—tell me what to do and where to go, blue line! I’ll follow you anywhere!
Sigh.
If you sometimes forget to trust yourself, like me, I have a couple of pro tips:
Start by believing you can figure anything out, even if it’s messy and you struggle—a little, or a lot.
When you start to panic at the uncertainty in front of you, take a deep breath and remember tip #1.
Practice. It’s my advice for a lot of things. Practice and practice and practice again. You really don’t have to be certain to try something.
There comes a point when you have to trust yourself. You are there now. So am I. It’s a skill that leads to the growth, change, and mastery you want. Who’s with me?
