Let's look at why it's so necessary to trust yourself, how you can develop that trust, and why even the occasional misstep is worth the leap.

The Problem With Doubt

Trusting yourself doesn’t mean you’ll always get it right. It means you’re willing to back yourself up, even if the outcome isn’t picture-perfect. Yet so many of us struggle with self-trust, often because of how we’ve been conditioned.

Or perhaps as a child, someone told you that you weren't trustworthy, or every decision you made was questioned by grown-ups. Or maybe life threw you a curveball-a big decision went sideways, and it left you questioning your judgment. Over time, these experiences can erode self-trust, leaving you stuck in a loop of doubt and seeking external validation.

The Downside of Ignoring Your Gut

Here's the deal: your gut instinct is like a built-in GPS. It's not foolproof, but it's pretty dang reliable when it comes to guiding you toward what's best for you. When you ignore it, it often leads to one of two scenarios:

Over-analysis Paralysis

You weigh up each and every point for and against, have discussed it with everyone in your address book for opinions, and don't do a thing. Why? Because instead of trusting yourself, you handed your powers over to people.

Wrong Choices Made From Fear

By not listening to yourself, you get to make all sorts of wrong choices out of intimidation, fear of failure, or people-pleasing motives. Spoiler: that seldom works.

Why Trust Your Instincts Are Important

Basically, trusting yourself means loving and respecting yourself. When you trust yourself, you:

Empower Your Decision-Making

You stop outsourcing your choices to others and start living a life that feels authentic to you.

Strengthen Your Relationships

Funny thing: when you trust yourself, it's easier to trust others. You're less likely to second-guess their motives or feel insecure.

Take Ownership of Your Life

Trusting yourself means you're in the driver's seat. You're no longer living on autopilot, letting others dictate your path.

But What If I Trust Myself and Get It Wrong?

Let's clear something up: trusting yourself doesn't mean you'll never make mistakes. You will. Life is unpredictable, people change, and sometimes things just don't pan out. But here's the magic-mistakes aren't failures; they're lessons.

When you trust yourself and the decision doesn't work out, you:

• Gain clarity about what doesn't work for you.
• Build resilience by learning to pivot and adapt.
• Strengthen your intuition for future decisions.
• Successful people don't get it right 100% of the time. Ask any entrepreneur-they'll tell you they've made plenty of missteps. But those missteps didn't break them; they built them.

How to Rebuild (or Build) Self-Trust

If that sounds like a foreign concept to you-trusting yourself-don't worry, it can be learned and then strengthened, just like any skill.

1. Get to Know Yourself

You cannot trust somebody that you do not know, including yourself. Devote time to reflections about your values, priorities, and that which is most meaningful to you. Utilize journaling, meditation, or, if you wish, personality assessments.

2. Start Small

Building self-trust does not imply that one is making life-changing decisions right off the bat. Start with the smaller decisions, such as what to have for dinner or which book to read next. Pay attention to your gut feeling and honor that instinct.

3. Practice Listening to Your Intuition

We learned in Spiritual Coaching training to speak our intuition without overthinking it. Yes, it was scary at first, but you'd be surprised how many times that gut feeling ended up being correct.

You can try this in your daily life. Next time you're faced with a decision, pause. Check in with yourself. What's your gut reaction? Don't rationalize it-just notice it.

4. Reflect on Past Wins

Make a list of times you trusted your gut and things turned out well. Even small victories count! Seeing these examples written down can remind you that your intuition is trustworthy.

5. Be Okay With Mistakes

Repeat after me: It's okay to be wrong. Seriously, the world won't end if you make a mistake. What matters is how you learn from it and move forward.

When Self-Trust Gets Tough, Look Inward

If you’re struggling to trust yourself, it might be a sign that you’ve lost touch with your inner voice. Reconnecting doesn’t happen overnight, but there are tools to help:

• Meditation or Prayer: Create space to listen for guidance.
• Journaling: Write out your fears, doubts, and dreams. Sometimes clarity comes through putting pen to paper.
• Seek Support: Whether it's a therapist, a coach, or a trusted friend, having someone to talk to can help you sort through the noise. 
• The Ripple Effect of Self-Trust
• When you trust yourself, you're not just improving your own life-you're creating a ripple effect. The confidence you exude inspires others to trust themselves too. It's like spreading a little bit of courage wherever you go.

And let's not forget: where the More you fully trust yourself, the less you need constant validation from others. You're the boss of your life, and you make decisions that come from a place in alignment with your values and goals.

Trust Yourself-Even If It's Messy

Look, trusting yourself isn't about perfection; it's about progress. It's about choosing to believe in your capability to make choices, even when the outcome isn't guaranteed.

So next time you're faced with a tough choice, tune out the noise and tune in to yourself. Trust your gut. Test the waters. Be willing to make mistakes. Because at the end of the day, it's better to trust yourself and be wrong than to live in constant doubt, wondering what might have been.

Go ahead, take the leap. Future you will thank you for it!

P.S. Want to share your thoughts on your inner wisdom? Don't be shy! Share in the comments below what you are doing to boost your inner wisdom or comment on my social media at: https://www.facebook.com/AMusingMystic or https://www.instagram.com/amusingmystic/

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