Business illustrations by Storyset
A lot can be said about the person who doesn't believe in themselves. It shows in the way the person listens and follows instructions.
It's been a few months at the gym, and it has included times of self-doubt, but I have had to fight through that to see the results I currently see. Now I'm almost oblivious to the mental effort it took to get here.
What is it like when a person does not believe in themselves?
It shows up in the limitations they give themselves.
I met a guy at the gym today who reminded me of a very old version of myself, but at a time when I was younger than he was. He is grown, and by my standards, he should know better.
He had this knee-jerk reaction to my talk about weightlifting and bodybuilding. He spoke with so much authority that you would think he was well-versed in the topic. But even after I had read up on some topics, I wasn't as authoritative as he was.
His mission was to correct my notions on principles that had worked for me and to show me, instead, his own way that had hardly worked for him.
At every junction when I gave advice to someone who needed it, he would interject with his misguided knowledge, and I would have to tell him where I got mine, and he would have to fall flat, knowing the source of his knowledge was void and empty.
We live in a world with unlimited information about the truth and about lies. You can tell it is the truth by how much it correlates with every other knowledge that is available. That is how the scientists of old refined their knowledge as time went by.
The truth is the truth no matter who is telling it.
Limitations on our self
Business illustrations by Storyset
Self-efficacy expectations are the belief in one's abilities to successfully execute a behavior necessary to produce a desired outcome or result. It is a person's belief in their own competence and capacity to perform and manage different situations.
The conversation with this particularly annoying gym member went on to the point where he started telling me that I couldn't accomplish all I want to accomplish because there was a limitation to going past my limits.
I was talking to a guy at the gym to go past his limit. That is where true growth lies, and he came up to talking about retired athletes who had to because of their age.
No one is denying age and biology as limiting factors, and for a vast majority, they will be limiting. But neither of us has reached the peak of our performance in terms of age.
It was a particularly challenging encounter for me because I too was triggered by his analysis of life.
If you only see obstacles in front of you, then you are about to run into them. But if you are constantly seeking the path to move forward, then you will find it.
Success isn't a Lack of Limitations
Business illustrations by Storyset
There is never a lack of limitations. The conversation went to short 100-meter sprinters going against Usain Bolt.
He said there is no chance of them ever beating his record.
Currently, the world record is set at around 9 seconds. I was trying to explain to them that during my time as a sprinter, training for the sports festival, I tried to beat my record of 11.8 seconds.
He kept interjecting and telling me that there would be limits for those who go against the record.
For Bolt himself, every time he went against the record, he intended to break it. For all those behind him, they also had the same intentions.
Bolt's biology had reached his peak and was coming down in his abilities, but I'm sure he never put that in his way whenever he ran, nor did those shorter than him.
This young man had set limits for himself that he never wanted to cross. Not only that, he didn't want others to cross them either, not in their minds and not in reality...it was the only way he would feel good about himself
Don't Go Against the Spirit
Business illustrations by Storyset
There is a heavily debated passage in the Bible that talks about how when Jesus had just healed some people, he could sense doubt among those who listened to him. They didn't believe in the miracles he had performed.
Jesus then explained that every sin against the Son of Man (Himself) would be forgiven, but those against the Holy Spirit would not be.
The way I see this passage is that you can go against a person's character, but to challenge the hard work (the spirit of the work) that went into it is to deny it in your life.
Do you fight with discipline in your daily life? Would you like to talk about it?
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is evident that when one doesn't believe in themselves, it shows up in the limitations they give themselves. Self-efficacy expectations are crucial in believing in one's abilities to successfully execute a behavior necessary to produce a desired outcome or result.
The conversation with the guy at the gym highlights the importance of going past our limits and seeking the path to move forward. Success is not a lack of limitations, and we must not set limits for ourselves that we never want to cross.
Instead, we should strive to challenge ourselves with discipline in our daily lives and not go against the spirit of hard work that goes into achieving our goals.
Have you ever struggled with self-doubt? How did it manifest itself in your life? How do you typically respond when someone challenges your beliefs or knowledge?
What do you think about the idea of self-efficacy and its impact on our ability to achieve our goals? Have you ever had an encounter with someone who set limits on themselves and others? How did it make you feel?
How do you think our beliefs about ourselves and our abilities influence our actions and decisions?