Quote of the Day: Insecurity will always rent the space it occupies but confidence will own the building and any other room it steps in. – unknown, according to quotesforthemind.com.
Wow. I love that quote. My friend JeMA and I used to say that “the committee” would hold a meeting in our heads whenever the insecurities tried to take over. They were renting space, as the saying goes, but confidence will own the building. My confidence will own it. Yes! And, isn’t that a great quote for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! We post the first Wednesday of every month. I think I’ve been with the group since Alex J. Cavanaugh started it back in 2011. I missed the very first one because it was my birthday, and I wasn’t feeling at all insecure that day! I might have missed another one along the way, so I don’t get the “perfect attendance” award, but I have been fairly faithful. It’s important to talk about your insecurities and face them. Then, master them! Become the owner of the building inside your head that says, “Yes, I can do it!”
Do you ever listen to This American Life? I’ve known about it, and heard clips from it, but hadn’t started listening until just last week. When I was on a walk, I thought, How can I make this more interesting? I looked down at my phone and realized that I could pop on a podcast while trotting through the neighborhood. The first episode that I listened to was called Dr. Gilmer and Mr. Hyde. It was so fascinating that I stopped home for my headphones and kept walking! Yesterday, I listened to Got Your Back. It was about who’s got your back, and who might stab it. They included a story about a man who plays a game called Diplomat. It sounds like a game that is similar to Risk with a bit of Survivor thrown in with role playing and manipulation. The man telling the story said that for the World Competition, he asked a real life diplomat to help him. The Diplomat said that his opponents could sense his insecurity and would then devour him. Sort of like the old saying that the horse senses that you’re afraid, not in charge, and will then run away with you, or buck you off. Have you experienced this in real life? I have. We experience it in our creative lives as well. When we let our insecurities rent space in our heads, we lose. When we combat it with confidence, we own our destiny. The only way to combat that insecurity and build up confidence is to surround yourself with people who support you. Stretch yourself a little to find success (maybe publish something locally), and above all BELIEVE IN YOURSELF! You wouldn’t have been given this gift and the desire to pursue it if you weren’t meant to succeed.
As my kids gathered up their school supplies this year, including my big boy who went off to his 3rd year of college, I felt just a bit of envy. A part of me was wishing that I could slip on my new school shoes, load my pack with books, and start a learning something new. Education is the gateway to empowerment. You know the saying, Knowledge is power. How can you improve your knowledge today about your craft?
There I am with my three older siblings! I would be turning six that week and starting Kindergarten. I was a little nervous, and every excited, to start my education. When I walked into the Kindergarten classroom, my friend Kathy ran up to me and said, “Want to play on the teeter-totter with me?” I’ve been enjoying the ups and downs of education ever since!
Go. Create. Inspire!
Journaling Prompt: Do you remember your first day of school? Do you still have a love of learning? What are you sinking your brainy teeth into right now?
I love that quote…
And I love learning!
I always tell my students that I will NEVER stop learning… till the day I die!
Happy IWSG Day, Mary!
Same here, Michelle! In fact, I pulled out some new songs and stretched my piano-playin’ fingers!
Great post. Confidence can be a shaky walk, lol. I will have to check out those podcast. Have a great day!
Writer’s Gambit
If you really want, you could go back to school.
I like the idea that insecurity is just renting. I’ll try to remember that.
I don’t want to go back to school. I think I want to be a kid again where that was your job – learning!
I still pick up a little knowledge and learning here and there. Perfect attendance is great if you can do it, but if not, well, then that’s that.
Right you are about perfect attendance. Life is not about being perfect.
Hi Mary,
Its indeed good to be here again after a bit gap
This post is really an interesting one!
by mistake i pressed some button the comment aired
kindly delete the earlier one.
in fact learning is a never ending process
as someone said, it ends only with our departure from this earth!
That is true too.
Yes, going back to school is not a good idea instead as you said going to become a kid is more valuable LOL
May you have a great week ahead
Thanks for sharing these thoughts
Best
~ Phil
Thanks, Phil
Hey Friend! I slipped off the reading radar for a bit but am glad I saw this great post. You are so adorable in that photo and I see your boys in your smile. I am excited for you! I had a great “first day of kindergarten” experience too, and met a great friend that day when I picked up her ponytail holder that had slipped off and gave it to her. We never forget those first rich experiences, do we? I do with you the very best, and hope your birthday is extra special this year, sweet Mary. XXOO, Roxane
Thanks, Roxane!
Love the quote and this post. This year is my three-kids-in-three-school-years year (high school, middle school & elementary school). I went to each one and left wishing I could be a student now. The courses are so much more interesting than when I went to school (and it wasn’t THAT long ago). More than anything I love to learn… which is why I love being an indie author. There’s so much for us to learn and the learning never stops. Thanks for getting me pumped up!
My IWSG Post
Yes, Tia, we can always learn, especially as writers!
I love that quote. I wrote it down in my notebook so I can refer back to it when I feel insecure. Thanks for the podcast intro. I’ve never hear of This American Life, but from your description of the second one, I will definitely check it out. Hey, if anything can get me to walk a few more miles around the neighborhood, I’m on it!
Thanks, and yes, it gets me walking and listening and thinking.
Beautiful quote. Loved it! I also liked your line about education as the gateway towards empowerment.
Oh, and you’ve been nominated for “The Versatile Blogger” Award. Here’s my post on that: Versatile Blogger Award: Delighted to Receive it!