21/07/2026
We should all believe in ourselves and in our ability to learn, adapt and, ultimately, succeed at what we're doing.
Self-belief encourages action, builds resilience, and it helps shape performance and our choices. Its about trusting our ability to grow, and over time every challenge we overcome or every goal we hit becomes evidence that confidence in ourselves is real and not imagined.
That being said, its perfectly acceptable to want others to believe in us too. Hearing someone say "I trust youโ or โI believe in youโ can be incredibly motivating and can give us the confidence to do something that we might not have otherwise attempted.
There is a big difference between needing external validation to act or to feel good about ourselves, and recognising that someone's belief and faith in you can give you the fire that helps you go out and achieve things.
At the same time, having the sense that there isn't anyone who believes in you, or someone who used to believe in you but has moved on, can really hurt. You feel overlooked, unappreciated, lonely, and you start to question your own abilities.
Its a horrible feeling and, being honest, I'm feeling it right now and I'm asking myself โwhat's changed?โ But I know I haven't stopped caring given how much investment I'm putting into myself and trainees around me.
I remind people not to compare themselves to others because we're all on different journeys. So maybe its right that I take my own advice!
๐ธ: Sophie Nicholls
