I'm Not Smart Enough

'I'm not smart enough.' is a limiting belief I hear so frequently from my coaching clients so I wanted to debunk this belief today for anyone who identifies with it.

In my experience, when a client has this belief, doing anything that could potentially make them the centre of attention is fearful for them, or they might avoid actively seeking promotion at work because they fear they'll be 'found out'.

So where does this belief come from? As with most of our adult programming, this belief usually stems from childhood. Some of my clients were constantly told they were doing things wrong by their misguided parents and siblings. Other clients with this belief also had dyslexia which meant they were labelled as 'not smart' and therefore not expected to be high achievers.

When we begin to explore further, I typically find that clients with this limiting belief are actually very successful in their adult life.  Besides academic achievements, they have started businesses and have done well in their careers, usually being accelerated by their managers. Their work colleagues, friends and family often seek their knowledge and wisdom, proving that they are of great value. Those with dyslexia have had to be really creative in their approach to learning in order to remain at the same level as their classmates. If that isn't smart, I don't know what is.

If this is a belief you hold about yourself, look for evidence that tells you it's not true. Evidence that says that you are not just academically smart but life smart too, then create a new belief for yourself that will better serve you and allow you to build your confidence.

I am smart and excited to learn more each day.
Everyone around me sees and appreciates my value.
I enjoy sharing my knowledge with others.
If others can do it I can do it too.
I have everything I need to achieve the things I want to achieve.

If this was a belief you held, let me know how you overcame it.

With love and light
Gwen x