I haven’t avidly been watching Britain’s Got Talent, but I catch the odd episode and over the last couple of years I’ve noticed a theme. Talented person comes on but lacks self confidence. Simon Cowell goes through a few facial expressions, Amanda perhaps sheds a few tears and then we get the review at the end. At this point they invariably comment on the talent and then Simon highlights the gap between being this talented and not yet having the success they desire and indeed deserve; it’s always down to lacking self confidence – or as Simon tells them – it’s about believing in yourself. Their key instruction between then and the next stage is to work on their self belief, not go and practice your talent.
What are your talents, gifts and if you’re really not sure you have any of them, what are your strengths?
Do you acknowledge these in yourself and to yourself?
To what extent do you believe in yourself?
Most of us do fail to recognise our talents enough and then if we do we act modestly about them. Actually the classic sign of lacking self belief is when someone compliments you and you reject it “oh no I’m not really that good / well it was alright but I didn’t do a/b/c”. When did you last accept the compliment and just say “thank you”. You don’t even have to bask in the feel good factor of a compliment if you don’t want. Just stop yourself from slapping the giver in the face (metaphorically speaking) and telling them their judgement is not up to much. Plus every time you do this you re-enforce out loud the fact you don’t believe in yourself and if you don’t why should anyone else. Fortunately they often do, but after a while if you persist then they’ll stop, or at least stop re-enforcing their belief in you and the possibility to achieve more success than you perhaps first thought possible.
Don’t let your talent go to waste.