When They Told Me To Quit

“You’ll never make it”, they said.

“You are a nobody.”

“You can’t compete with them.”

“You don’t know what you are doing.”

“Who do you think you are?”

You might be wondering who would say things like this? Who would dare crush someone with such harsh words?

I’ll tell you who…its me. I have said those things to myself for years. Those voices are my own discouraging thoughts. Nobody had to say them to me for me to believe they were true.

Those voices are convincing. They have shown up in my weakest moments and tested my will power to go on.

But here is the thing… I AM GOING ON. And I will continue to go on. Because giving in to self doubt is not an option anymore. Winning the battle against my own mind is a battle worth fighting.

Learning the truth about who I am is a journey worth taking.

Finding my confidence in a relationship with Jesus Christ and walking out that confidence in every area of my life is something worth pursuing.

There will always be those thoughts that creep in. The kind that make you wonder why you even try. But keep trying. Keep GOING.

We weren’t meant to spend every day on this earth buried beneath the layers of self doubt, afraid to step out and try things.

Take back your life. Take back your thoughts. Choose to believe the things about yourself that are true. Remember what makes you unique. Take a risk or two. Do something you’ve never done, just because you can.

If I had quit every time I had the thought cross my mind, I would have quit a thousand times by now. I wouldn’t have been able to experience all the good things that come from persevering. I would have missed out on countless opportunities and moments of success.

Giving into self doubt would have kept me from pursuing my dream of training horses full time. It would have kept me from entering futurities, it would have kept me from taking an apprenticeship opportunity out west. It would have kept me from getting in shape.

This list is too long to keep rambling, but the point is. Every time I chose to ignore those voices, my will power has gotten stronger. Each time I step out in faith, my faith is strengthened and It makes it easier the next time.

It’s not so much about proving to yourself that you are a somebody, or that you do know what you’re doing, or you do belong there… It’s about remembering that even if you are the worst, the outcast, the beginner or the failure, it doesn’t change your identity as a child of God. When your confidence rests in that alone, there will be a shift from being “self confident” to being BRAVE.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9