You Don't Need To Prove It

We live in a very difficult and polarized society where it seems like no matter what side of an issue we’re on, someone has a problem with it and we’re doing something wrong. So we respond by walking on eggshells and being very careful not to interrupt the status quo.

An unfortunate outcome of this is that we’re more afraid to take chances or stand out because we know that criticism is right around the corner if something starts to go wrong. And it holds us back from living to the extent we’d want to and experimenting more in our lives.

But you don’t need to prove anything to anyone. In a world where we’re seeking approval and acceptance, it’s more comfortable to get permission before doing anything that others could criticize.  It’s a way of hedging our bet in case things turn sour because we got an endorsement from someone else.

Instead, what if we just went for it? What if we understood that innovation and improvement require making mistakes, and we embraced uncertainty rather than turned away from it? We’d make significant progress so much faster and so much smoother.

When we try to prove something it puts a pressure on us to get it right. Of course the overall goal is to do things right and get positive results, but the fear of getting it wrong keeps us from trying at all. So let’s get rid of that fear and give ourselves more space to see how it goes.

And here’s how: We have a threshold where we’re comfortable moving forward because there’s a certain likelihood of success. If we were to lower that threshold and take action with less certainty, we’d actually give ourselves more chances to succeed.

I want you to reflect on a big goal or dream you have that you’ve been too scared to communicate to others - a career switch, a passion to pursue, a new lifestyle to enjoy or personal milestone to accomplish. Who’s judgment, criticism, or disagreement are you avoiding? And what do you feel like you need to prove to them?

Awareness takes power away from the negative unconscious influences that run our life. So take yourself there and see what you find.