This article was written in partnership with Full Plate Full Cup. You can join Full Plate Full Cup at Sage + Sound for their Purpose Workshop on May 22 at 6 P.M. Seats are limited so register now!
How often do you tell yourself that you are enough — and that the thing you want most is, in fact, yours for the taking?
If I were to guess, your default is probably to dissuade yourself from reaching beyond what’s immediately within your grasp. Of course, it is! Your brain’s job, where that frisky inner voice lives, is to keep you safe. When we dream big, it means things might not work out as planned. When we put ourselves out there, it means being vulnerable. When we go after an idea, it means we might fail.
So when you start to think about doing *that thing*, it makes sense that your nervous system says, “Oh no, that’s for other people — not for you. Let’s stay here where we know we won’t get hurt.”
I want to offer a counter idea: What if it did work out?
It may sound crazy, but stay with me. We live in a world where we are constantly bombarded with messages of “not enough.” If you need proof, just open your go-to social app and scroll for 30 seconds. You’ll likely encounter some idyllic images or overnight success stories that can’t help but make you think, “Good for them; not possible for me.”
If you’re reading this, you’re part of a brilliant community. I know you know this, but it still bears repeating: those messages aren’t real.
Success is nonlinear. Beauty comes with mess. Overnight isn’t really a thing.
And: we’re all human. Whatever struggles and insecurities you’re up against — so are the folks you see out there doing that thing you want so badly or yourself. Your “safety-first” nervous system is the same as theirs.
So why not you?
At Full Plate Full Cup, we teach Success without Suffering. Part of this philosophy is not suffering at the idea of our own potential. It means trusting yourself and the process — believing you are innately capable, creative, and resourceful.
Perhaps most importantly, it means being able to challenge the idea of “not enough.” Next time that feeling begins to creep in, take 5 minutes to challenge it with this journaling exercise:
Write down three things you’ve accomplished or possess now that once seemed entirely impossible. Anything goes — a job title, a relationship, a feeling, an object, an opportunity, or recognition. Embody the feeling of exceeding your own expectations. Then, go back to when you thought those things were out of reach. What advice would present You give past You? How would it feel to accept that same advice from future You?
It’s easy for us to forget how far we’ve come, but through reflection, we’re reminded of just how powerful we are.
And yes — that means YOU.
REBECCA STUMP, Executive Coach and Co-Founder of Full Plate Full Cup