You are among many who believe they are never good enough.  You probably do not broadcast this to the world, but your inner critic is always trying to put you down.

Your inner critic wants to keep you safe, and the only way it knows to keep you comfortable is keeping you from trying anything new. It hopes that telling you that you are never good enough will stop you from any new adventures.

The good news is that you can quiet your inner critic with practice by showing that you can take care of yourself.   

Here are 7 ways to stop believing you are never good enough:

1.      Acknowledge your humanity:

You are human and not meant to be perfect. You will make mistakes, and sometimes those mistakes will lead you to outstanding achievements.  Other times mistakes will make you more determined to try again.

Remember that many inventors and scientists often learned from their failures. It was not unusual for surprises to come from failure.  Some of the most significant discoveries have happened by accident.

Your job is to get up each day and do your best, which is a huge accomplishment.

2.      Ask a friend or family member to help you name your strengths:

Every person has strengths. Often you need the help of others to help you acknowledge your gifts.  Who might you ask to help you to show up every day in the best way you can?

Every person in the world has something important to bring to the world.  Instead of hiding, the universe needs you to show up, offering your gifts wherever they are beneficial.

You can ask your friends and family to encourage you to share your talents.  If you believe in a higher power, you can ask God to nudge you forward, silencing the negative voice.

3.      Seek guidance from your religious community:

Suppose you are part of a religious community, whether a church, mosque, temple, or synagogue, you are reminded that you are part of something much more significant.  In the Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, you are told repeatedly in the Holy Bible that you have worth just for being you. 

You are created in the image of God.  God has given you a purpose and has given you everything you need to follow God.

Want to learn 7 Messages From Heaven Proving You Are Good Enough Just The Way You Are? Click Here

4.      Discover your Enneagram type:

The psychological-spiritual tool called the Enneagram can help you to be your best self.  It not only allows you to see your weaknesses but also helps you to name your strengths.

There are nine different Enneagram types, each representing one way of making sense of the world. To be a healthy person, you need to be as strong as possible in all nine types.

Once you discern your type, you will see what happens when you get stuck in stress.  You will know when you are getting healthier and when you are losing connection with your true self.

As you get healthier in your type, you will gradually get stronger in all nine points.

Want to learn more about the Enneagram? Click Here

The Enneagram provides you with a map for personal development. It is never an excuse for you to be self-destructive or demeaning of others.

Not only will you discover your strengths, but it will also help you free yourself from the limitations of your personality. You will be able to let go of the voice that keeps telling you that you are not good enough.

You will discover that you have more strengths than you realize

Want to learn Three Ways to Quiet the Inner Critic & Find Your True Self? Click Here

5.      Meditation and Prayer:

Spiritual practices such as prayer and meditation can help you calm down your mind and open your heart.

As you quiet the inner critic, the demeaning voice's silence will create space for your true self to speak. This voice will encourage you to share your gifts with the world.  It will show you where you need to be, what you need to be doing and how to make it happen.

You will experience a flow in your life that will take you to places, situations, and ministry you never dreamed you would be doing.

You will know you are in the right place at the right time.

6.      Brainstorm your strengths:

If you are honest with yourself, you will know you have strengths.  You will acknowledge that you can do things, while simple for you, is difficult for others. So please don't take yourself for granted.

An excellent place to start brainstorming is, to begin with, your strengths.  What brings you joy? What comes easily for you?  For example, you might be very good with children or have great compassion for people stuck in the criminal justice system. Maybe you love to cook. You might be a good organizer or have a love for mathematics.  You will discover that you are good at many things.

You might want to make a list of your strengths. You could add to your diary what gifts did you use in your day. As you acknowledge more and more of your talents, you are more likely to use them than before.

7.      Create a mantra:

A mantra is a short sentence or phrase you can repeatedly repeat to change your way of seeing the world.   Here are some possible mantras you can use to acknowledge your strengths:

·         I am bright and intelligent

·         I am good enough

·         I am amazing

·         I am making a difference in the world

·         I have value for being me

When you start to use mantras, you need to do them often to make a difference.  Whenever you feel down and never good enough, use a mantra to change your thinking.

Mantra's help you build new neural paths that will change the way you see the world.

The good news is that you are good enough.  You and every person in the world are good enough, and this might be hard to get your head around.

You have worth simply because you are here. You have value because a power greater than you called you to share your gifts in the world.

The more you can accept you good enough, the more amazing things you will do in the world.

The more you can accept yourself, the more grounded you will be. The more grounded you can be, the more present you are to yourself and the world.

With increasing presence, you will be open to following the spirit.  You will know what you need to be doing and learning.

Roland Legge is a Certified Identity Life Coach and a minister in the United Church of Canada in Yorkton, Saskatchewan.  You can join my newsletter for free advice and join my Facebook Group called Enneagram and Burnout