Learning to Step Into My Power: A Journey of Doubt, Growth, and Self-Belief
- Jodie Erica
- May 7
- 4 min read
Are You Helping Someone Else’s Dream at the Cost of Your Own?
Have you ever felt like you’re living someone else’s dream? Putting your own desires on the backburner while you support others’ visions? If you’ve been there, you’re not alone. I’ve been caught in the same cycle.
For a long time, I believed that by helping others achieve their dreams, my own would eventually fall into place. But recently, I’ve started to realise that’s not how it works. It’s easy to fall into the trap of focusing on everyone else’s successes while putting our own on the back burner. But I’m starting to understand,
it’s time to put my vision first.
The Heavy Lifting: Supporting Everyone But Yourself
Maybe you’ve been in a similar situation, helping others grow while doubting your own potential. At first, it seems like a good plan: If I can help them, I’ll benefit too, right?
But over time, you start to feel like you’re doing all the heavy lifting without the recognition or rewards. That’s where I found myself. For years, I found myself helping others build their businesses, putting in my skills, time, and ideas, thinking that eventually, my hard work would pay off. But something was missing. I wasn’t growing. Things went wrong. I wasn’t focused on what I wanted to achieve, and it left me feeling stuck and frustrated.
There were moments when I started to feel like I was taking on too much responsibility, doing the heavy lifting without seeing the return. While I was supporting others, I realised that I wasn’t showing up for myself in the same way, this realisation was a turning point.
Transition to 'From Supporter to Creator':
It’s hard to stop helping others, especially when you’ve invested so much time and effort into their vision. But then, I had a moment of clarity: I realised that it wasn’t about supporting others anymore, it was about creating something of my own.
I won’t lie and say I have it all figured out yet. I’m still figuring things out, and some days are harder than others. But what I do know is this:
I can’t keep waiting for someone else to give me the validation I need. I’m the only one who can give myself that, and it starts by believing in my own potential.
Uncomfortable Growth: Questioning and Realigning
Part of this journey is giving myself permission to ask tough questions: What do I want? What is my vision? For so long, I gave so much of my time and energy to other people’s ideas, believing that I could find my place by helping them grow their visions. But in reality, by not believing in myself or my own dreams, I ended up pouring my energy into established ideas, hoping to apply my skills and make an impact. I’ve realised now that I was driven by self-doubt, not fully trusting in my own potential to lead something of my own.
I put my hands up, I see now that my unhealthy pattern was focusing on helping others expand their businesses, instead of taking the lead on my own ideas. That fear of not being 'enough' or not succeeding in my own right kept me from fully committing to my own dreams. These paths have full pelt slapped me in the mush, again and again, and here we are. Now, I’m learning how to redirect that energy back to myself. It’s not easy. It’s uncomfortable. But that discomfort is the growing pain that leads to progress. I’m slowly but surely learning to trust myself more, to believe in my ideas, and to take the first steps toward building something that reflects my vision, not just someone else’s.
Taking Small Steps Towards Change
I’m learning that change doesn’t have to happen all at once. It can be as simple as setting boundaries, making space for my own creativity, and gradually shifting my focus. The key is to start, no matter how small. Sometimes the smallest steps create the momentum we need to move forward.
Start with what you can control: You don’t have to have it all figured out right this second. Take one small step today that gets you closer to what you want. Progress isn’t about perfection, it’s about moving forward.
Be patient with yourself: Self-doubt? Yeah, it’s part of the deal! But don’t let it hold you back. Give yourself permission to figure things out along the way, growth takes time, and it’s bloody messy, but that’s where the magic happens.
Set boundaries: It’s okay to say no! You don’t have to bend over backwards for every opportunity that doesn’t fit your vision. Your energy is precious, protect it like the gold it is.
Invest in yourself: Make the time for what matters, your growth, your creativity, your peace of mind. You’re worth the investment, and it starts with showing up for yourself every day.
Your Path, Your Power!
I’m still figuring out this journey of self-belief and growth, and I know I’m not alone. If you’ve been feeling like your dreams have taken a backseat to everyone else’s, it’s time to start shifting your focus. You deserve to build your own path. We don’t have to have it all figured out, but we do need to start somewhere, and that’s what I’m learning to do right now.
If you’re on this journey too, I want you to know that it’s okay to take things slow, to question your path, and to learn along the way. Just remember: you have the power to create the life you want.
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