Your Words Can Hurt

My friend came over the other day to help me repair a broken showerhead. The shower had been out of commission for months. Six months ago, I decided to try to fix it. I'm not particularly handy.

I did quite well with my repair job but was stuck when I couldn't fasten the showerhead pipe enough to make it point down instead of up. I had ideas to rectify the problem, but I was worried I would strip the thread and break the pipe. So I left it. For six months.

I feared I would break it because I didn't believe in myself. I didn't have the confidence.

My friend's dad is a handy man too. Those talents are passed down from generation to generation. I don't recall ever seeing my dad with a hammer or screwdriver. In addition to no handy inspiration, he also cursed me.

My dad famously once exclaimed, "If someone is going to f*** up, it's going to be Dave." He might have said it more than once, but regardless it stuck in my mind like a white-hot bull brand.

Bull, it took me years to realize it was bull. Heather taught me that. My dad was a prick to me growing up. I was a prick too, but he was the parent, so he earned much higher marks in the prick department.

I think of this constantly with my kids. I can't fool them into thinking I'm a talented handyman, but I can empower them to believe that they can be. That's what I strive for. I'm not a perfect parent (nobody is), but I am always careful not to put them down.

If you have little people in your life, think before you speak. Do the same when conversing with your employees, or friends, or anyone seeking feedback. That line my dad fed me (and my friend who witnessed my embarrassment) slowed my personal progress for many years. It still sticks with me today. 

Be careful with your words

My mum once had a fridge magnet that read, "Love is remembering an unkind word can hurt." It's a good reminder for us all. Be careful with your words. Once they are said, they can only be forgiven, not forgotten.

If you struggle with self-doubt, know that you are not alone. In fact, everyone does to some degree. My old friend, John Morgan, shared some great tips on overcoming self-doubt here.

Photo from Flickr by Frédéric Glorieux.

10 Thoughts About Self-Image, Self-Worth, and Self-Doubt

Lucrecer Braxton has a wonderful podcast called, Hello Friend. Each episode features a conversation with an awesome person. That sounds good, right? On the latest episode, she interviewed my friend, John Michael Morgan.

John is a best-selling author and business coach. I don't get to see him enough, but when I do, I always leave inspired and filled with ideas for my businesses. The conversation between Lucrecer and John left me excited to share some of his wisdom with you here. 

10 Thoughts About Self-Image, Self-Worth, and Self-Doubt

I love John's thoughts about self-image, self-worth, and self-doubt. The following are 10 points I took away from the interview. Consider these for your own life.

1. Have a “Why not me?” attitude. 
2. You’re never going to outperform your self-image.   
3. If you’re not spending as much time working on your self-image as you are your business, family, and job, you’re doing yourself an injustice. 
4. Your fears can’t hurt you, but believing in them can.
5. Ask yourself, “Who do I have to become?" Make a list of the beliefs and behaviors that person has. 
6. Write with the word “YOU”, not “I”. Use the story about you, but it has to be about your readers too.
7. Too often we are chasing approval instead of results.
8. The more you can create a theme around your content. The more people will come to it. 
9. Be careful who you are taking advice from. Consider what makes them an expert.
10. Give people acknowledgment. 

John runs the Achievers Alliance group for entrepreneurs. You should take a look at it and decide if it's something that could help you. John also wrote the excellent book, Brand Against The Machine. 

Listen to Lucrecer's full interview on the Hello Friend site or down below.