Today’s post is going to be a bit different than normal. I’m not going to be discussing techniques to gain strength, enhance recovery, or how to periodize the complete preparation process. I’m also not going to provide in depth looks at my training. Today I am want to discuss something that has been on my mind since an experience I had early this morning.
I was at the grocery store this morning and as I was walking past people I noticed that they were not making eye contact with me. Now this is not an uncommon thing, but it just hit me a little different today and made me take a deeper notice. It is not even like I was in a bad mood that showed through my expressions. I was actually in a GREAT mood today.
From a distance they would see me, enough to avoid my path, then avert their eyes in another direction as we passed. Am I that much of an opposing figure? Does the beard and shaved head scare them off? Apparently not, as I saw the same thing going on all around the store, no matter the person.
If they would have made eye contact with me, I would have smiled and cheerfully asked how they are doing or make some other friendly statement. Is this something to fear? I fail to see anything within those actions that would negatively impact another human being.
So I got to pondering why this was. Why was no one acknowledging anyone else? The answer is that it is rarely based off of a lack of respect or fear of the other person, but rather a lack of self-confidence in the oneself.
People simple just don’t respect themselves anymore. They don’t believe in what they can accomplish and the type of person that they truly are. They look in the mirror and see nothing but the negative attributes of themselves rather than their potential. They are typically pessimists and SMALL THINKERS! People have turned into individuals who look as if they are waiting for the end rather than thriving on the opportunity of the beginning of a new day.
I have one message to those individuals who doubt themselves: Lift your head up, pull your shoulders back, stick your chest out, and walk around like someone who has a pair ready to take on any new opportunity. Stop focusing on the negatives of your life, and look forth to the chances you have to make BIG CHANGES.
I want to wrap this up by saying that by no means do I feel like I am revealing revolutionary stuff. This is COMMON SENSE! As the old saying goes “Believe in thyself.”
Take action today and as always, Think Big,
Kyle Bohannon, Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach
kyle@trainstrive.com
Drop a Comment Below and Tell me your Experiences with Self-Doubters.
Tags: Confidence, kyle bohannon, Self-Doubt, Strive Training, Think Big
Man, i gotta say this is a great article and very inspirational. I understand the points being made here and i honestly felt the same way at points in my life. I do believe it comes down to what a person has done with their life that makes the difference.
It’s not so much that people who train for fitness are more confident, but more so, we have achieved small goals along the way to boost our confidence.
Jay,
Sorry for my delay in responding. Usually I receive an email alerting me when a comment is made.
I couldn’t agree more on reaching goals. Often times, the first time I train an athlete, they lack confidence in themselves to complete the tasks at hand. However, given the proper motivation, ie not yelling in their face but instead providing encouragement and praise for any success, they quickly begin to see what they are capable of and start to walk around with SWAG!
Thanks for leaving the comment!