Your potential is real and viable. Too many times we tend to tell ourselves, "but, what if". Well, what if we told ourselves something different moving forward? How about, "give it your best and hope for the best" or "you got this". Our brain has been on self-doubt auto pilot for much too long. We are conditioned from a young age to fear the unknown and to be complacent. Complacency is okay for some people. But you are reading this because you want more and realistically, you are capable of more. A great way to start shaping this type of mentality is by starting and ending your day with self affirmations. Tell yourself, with conviction, that you are: bright, capable, smart, driven, confident, relevant, etc. Whatever you struggle with, self affirm the opposite of that. Without getting too scientific, this practice will direct your brain activity to create new neural pathways which will overlap the insecurity pathway that exists. Think of it as sort of a detour in your brain, leading to the same lobe where the insecurity exists. But you are now sending positive affirmation signals instead of all the garbage we've been conditioned to send. This is a long term practice. You will begin to notice how you gradually begin to speak to your strengths. We need to unlearn all the negative self talk we've been taught and nurture our cerebral wellness. Just as we would nurse a wound on our flesh, our brain also needs curative attention.