You’re not the only one who says “but what if I’m not good enough?”
“Unemployment opens its mouth at the end of each job, and you think, No one will ever hire me again, and then they do. I haven’t ever managed to feel that I was equipped for the next new job. I’ve always had an appetite for each new thing and also a big dose of insecurity about whether or not it would be any good.”
Do those words sound familiar? Have you said some variation of them yourself? Have you consistently doubted whether you were good enough for the next big thing in your life? Do you have moments of severe self-doubt when you wonder whether you are employable or have any skills worth sharing with the world?
Now… would it surprise you if I told you that the above quote comes from Meryl Streep? Yes, THE Meryl Streep, the one that imdb.com says is considered by many movie reviewers to be the “greatest living film actress”. The one who’s been nominated for the Academy Award an astonishing 15 times and has won it twice! The one who has rocked our world with such movies as Kramer vs. Kramer, Sophie’s Choice, Ironweed, and Doubt and yet has the versatility to pull off Mama Mia! THAT Meryl Streep! She doubts whether she will be hired again! (Read her interview together with Amy Adams, talking about their film Julie & Julia, in the August 2009 edition of Ladies’ Home Journal.)
Meryl Streep
Okay, so here’s the point – you don’t have a corner on the market when it comes to self-doubt and insecurity! If Meryl Streep’s been there, you can bet every human being on the planet has been there at least once in his or her life.
In my former career in the public service, I used to organize big press conferences for politicians, bureaucratic big-wigs, and other muckity-mucks, including 2 former prime ministers, a whole host of members of parliament, more heads of agencies than I can count, and an assortment of other people in positions of power. I saw them all in the back rooms before the cameras were turned on, and you know what they all had in common? I saw signs of insecurity in EVERY SINGLE ONE of them.
It’s true – even politicians can be insecure. I’ve seen one sneak off to a back room for some liquid fortification before addressing the media cameras (no, I’m not telling you which one!). I’ve taken one on a quick trip to the store to buy a new belt because he was afraid his pants would fall down. One, with whom I traveled and for whom I planned several events, asked me every single time “how do you think I did?” In others, in the back room before they faced the public, insecurity was masked under complicated layers of arrogance, bravado, snobbery, and/or absent-mindedness.
I repeat my point – you are not the only person who doubts whether you have something to offer the world! We’ve ALL been there!
And my final point? Get over it and start giving! It’s not worth it wasting all your energy on self-doubt and second guessing. You’re not contributing to beauty and justice if you sit on your butt all day and wish you were as talented as Meryl Streep or Elizabeth Gilbert. You can start small if you need to, but START NOW! Imagine if Meryl Streep had let those doubts get in the way of pursuing her dream – where would we be without her amazing contribution to quality film-making?
You may never be good enough to be the next Meryl Streep or Elizabeth Gilbert, but you are good enough to be YOU and that is all you are asked to be.
“If we all did the things we are capable of doing we would literally astound ourselves.” – Thomas Alva Edison
Hi, I'm Heather Plett. I'm excited that you've stopped by to learn more about how we can make the world a better place through the sharing of our gifts and creativity. I've been thinking about these topics for a lot of years now. Through my work in creative communication, workshop facilitation, fundraising, leadership training, and freelance writing, I've gathered a lot of wisdom and stories from my own experiences and the experiences of the people I've been blessed with knowing.
Wow… did I ever need to here this right now (as I’ll be unemployed as of the end of the month)! Thanks for the reminder and encouragement!
“Get over it and start living!”
I love it. That’s going to be my new mantra.
We are all insecure about our deepest dreams, we have to be, it’s essential for us to feel fear so we don’t get bored and keep trying!
You wrote: AND… you could write about “unearthing your giftedness” for my new website!
This sounds interesting, would love to hear more!
Great post! It really resonated with me because, like many artists, I constantly battle the “what if I am not good enough” theme in my oh-so critical evaluation of my own talent. Your advice of “get over it” is just what I finally get back to in order to keep going. It’s what I need to remember when I am in the throes of self-doubt. The great thing is, the more I share in spite of my fears, the easier it gets.
This is exactly what I needed to hear. I’m a birth doula and have been in this self-doubt mode for a little while now. I wonder to myself, if the support (physically and emotionally) I offer my clients is enough? Do they regret hiring me? Do I anticipate their needs and provide the support they need? I have a birth coming up anytime now, there is no time or energy to waste on self-doubt. Thanks for the reminder and encouragment, it’s come at the perfect time!
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