“And the TRUTH shall set you FREEEEE!” – Jim Carrey in Liar Liar.
“You can’t handle the truth!” – Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men.
…Enough with the movies already!
Have you ever done something and hit a plateau? Where you wanted to get better at this something, but you just couldn’t get beyond a certain point?
The reality is, you may have been cheating yourself. Most people do. I used to cheat myself when I first journeyed into public speaking.
Most people don’t want to be honest with themselves. They think that they know more than they really do, and this stifles growth and improvement.
Let’s use public speaking as an example. The idea of “improved confidence.” Who the heck wants to admit that they lack self-confidence? I sure as hell didn’t.
Well, take a step back. We ALL have confidence in some things.
One fellow might be comfortable and confident entertaining guests a party (the “people person”), while another might be clinging to the one and only person that they know at the party, like a tick on a dog’s ass. But, take that same “people person” and put him alone in front of an audience—frozen like popsicle.
If you can be brutally honest with yourself, you will be able to soak up information and learn from experiences much faster than if you partake in self-denial.
Try to take an outside look on the thing you’re struggling with, maybe the methods you’re using are wrong. Why not try a different way? Couldn’t it be possible that the technique you’re using isn’t a good fit for you? Again, it comes down to being open and honest with yourself.
It might even help to tell yourself that you know nothing about the task you’re undertaking. A beginner’s mindset.
Accepting this mindset tells the ego that it has nothing to protect. Nothing to defend. You’re free to absorb information and openly admit to yourself that you know absolutely nothing, and that you’re just there to learn.
I’ll go first. I ADMIT THAT I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT NOTHING!
Now you try 🙂
Incredibly effective for getting past the plateau. Be honest with yourself and let growth be your reward.
P.S. I present to you a Book Update!! NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON! Get over the fear of public speaking!
Be Sociable and Share! – Below are some share buttons that got your name on ’em
