Do you recognize an opportunity to grow when it presents itself? We tend to look at situations in a way that let’s us feel like we are not good enough. Often times, these are pivotal points in our lives for growth.

One thing I have recently come to realize is that you are NEVER finished growing. Just when you think you have it all figured out is exactly the time you need to look for the next thing you can learn or improve upon. Make your best, better. Make your worst, the best. Know your strengths. Get intimate with your weaknesses. You know what they are. Look them in the eyes. Profound shifts start to happen not only in your mind but in your life when you change your perspective on situations. In turn, those perspectives begin to change your life.

We are programmed by the series of life’s events we face, beginning with childhood, that a NO means no. In all actuality, NO sometimes means, not now. Or come back after you’ve mastered, x y or z in your life. Always consider that this particular “no” is giving way to the next opportunity’s yes. In other words, there is something better around the corner. Usually instead of taking the lesson and positively growing from a NO we often turn away never to look at it again. These moments in your life are all there for a reason. That reason is not to make you feel unworthy or like you are not good enough, but to open your eyes to something God is trying to show you. Be willing to look. Be willing to see it.

I can remember when I was in Junior High School; I was just starting to get my footing with the “in crowd” and was really beginning to have my clique of friends to gossip and hang with. Right around that same time, our school was holding cheerleading tryouts. All the “it” girls were trying out so I thought, this is something I should do too, you know, to “fit in.” Never having had a desire to cheerlead, I just thought it was the cool thing to do, so I tried out. I have rhythm and I can dance, but I can’t do a flip-flop to save my life. Rah Rah Rah shish coom bah…. I did NOT make the team. But guess who did? ALL my “it girl” friends! I was devastated. “I was not good enough.” Ah ha: one of the first programmed memories that comes to mind where I let a feeling of “not being good enough” set in.

There is a big difference between not feeling good enough and not BEING good enough. YOU ARE ALWAYS GOOD ENOUGH. Unfortunately, some people do not see it and that is OK. You have to look past those people and moments to remember you are good enough and you do have what it takes. For me, in that moment, I got a NO. I could have gotten a coach and practiced to get my flip flop working if I really wanted to be a cheerleader. But instead I got sad. I wallowed. I let that situation program my mind into believing that there was a part of me that was not good enough. Lies. All lies. I missed an opportunity to improve, to grow and to stand up to a NO. But I let the nasty “not good enough” complex fool me.

Think of moments in your life when you didn’t get something you really wanted. Be it a job, raise, car, significant other and so on. It was never because you were not good enough. It was because there is something better in store for you if you are willing to look within to learn where you need to improve to get the things you want. Just because you didn’t get it right this very minute, doesn’t mean you never will or you are not capable. It means you have to do work, my friend. Work on yourself.

What Can I Do Better? Always turn to that question when you feel doubt or low self-esteem. Don’t let your mind throw you in a pity party. Let your mind see the positive. This is where the three “Gets” as I like to call them coming into play. Get quite. Get honest. Get to work. Focus on the areas where you can keep improving. Don’t worry about the rest. If you are doing your best and giving your A game as you are growing, learning and listening to your intuition, everything will fall into place as it should. Then next thing you know, you will have to ask yourself, is THIS good enough for me? Flip the script. You got this.