We need to trust ourselves. This is because we are the ones who make the final decisions for our actions in life. But trusting yourself is often easier said than done. We are taught all our lives to look to other people in authority in order to know what to do. For this reason, it is common to measure your own desires against the status quo that you may have been brought up to believe in.
What Happens When You Stop Trusting Yourself
Here’s what happens when you don’t trust yourself. You might be full of doubt about which direction to go in your life. You may feel confused about why your life does not feel satisfying or fulfilling, especially if you have been doing all of the “right things.” You may be fearful about disappointing others if you follow your heart. And you might feel that your entire existence is riddled with compromise.
A lack of self-trust produces withdrawal and a fear of trying new things. It leads to diminished self-confidence and a lot of overthinking and second-guessing.
What Becomes Possible When You Do
On the other hand, when you learn to trust yourself, the following wonderful things will begin to open up for you: Your level of self-confidence will begin to soar, along with increased feelings of inner strength. You will feel much more centered and grounded. You will become a better listener and more empathic, because you will no longer be needing approval from other people. You will thus become less judgmental and more loving.
Imagine how your level of clarity will increase when you are no longer second-guessing yourself. Think of the relief of being able to make decisions with confidence, even when you’re not totally sure of the outcome. Overall, life becomes much easier because you are not allowing yourself to be burdened by the energy, opinions, and projections of other people.
3 Practices for Building Real Self-Trust
So here are 3 tips I want to share with you about how to increase your level of self-trust.
Meditate
Meditation can consist of anything you do on a daily basis – morning is best – to go within and learn to be with yourself again. Without judgment. It is time you set aside to be alone with your heart and your inner being. You have to get to know yourself again in order to trust yourself. You have to become familiar with a strong sense of your own inner guidance.
Set Goals and Make Clear Decisions
When you set a goal, you are making a decision about your direction in life. These can be mini-goals or big goals. Notice how your level of confidence immediately increases whenever you write down a firm goal that you are committed to.
Practice Keeping Promises to Yourself
Whenever you tell yourself you’re going to do something to improve yourself or your quality of life, you have a golden opportunity to seriously strengthen your level of self-trust. When you follow through and keep that promise to yourself, you build an inner reserve of personal strength and trust. If you feel weak in this area, start small and then build up gradually. Choose one small promise that you will make to yourself at the beginning of each day. Then notice how great you feel when you keep that promise.
Don’t expect yourself to be great at these 3 things if you haven’t put energy into them before. Just start. Do a little at a time and be consistent. Make it your intention to continuously increase your action in these 3 areas as time goes on. And most importantly, pay close attention to how good it makes you feel when you successfully apply any of these tips. That’s what will provide you with the motivation to continue and expand on your efforts.
One Final Practice: The Art of Forgiving Yourself
A final tip I want to offer you is to always be forgiving toward yourself. Forgiving yourself means to let go of any mistakes or failures, whether past or current. Let them go when they happen and keep moving forward. As long as you are alive, you should never give up. Always be willing to give yourself a second chance.
Just remember that in order to feel happy, clear-minded, and free, you need to trust yourself. Start now by cultivating that experience, so that you can reap the rewards of a much more empowered life.
If You’re Ready to Take This Further
Self-trust is the foundation. But in a world that generates this much chaos, a foundation alone isn’t always enough. What stabilizes a conscious person in uncertain times is structure – a clear, grounded container that keeps the world’s instability from becoming your own.
That’s what this free guide is for.
5 Steps to Stay Centered in an Anxious World walks you through five specific areas of your life – your inner world, your body, your vision, your plan, and your time – and shows you how to take conscious command of each one. Together, they close the gaps through which anxiety enters. Not as a calming technique. As a structure.
If this article resonated with you, the guide is the natural next step.