Believe in your Greatness

“Alright, we’re gonna let the men go first since the women will need more instruction.”

There I was, sitting on aluminum bleachers. All the men around me stood up, came down off the bleachers, and headed towards the firing range. Of approximately 50 people total, 9 of us women remained seated. I glanced over at another woman, and she smirked at me as if to say, “jerk.”

While the men fired off 50 rounds of ammo, we were given instruction on how to stand, hold the gun and holster it – instruction that was not given to the men. I thought to myself, maybe the instructor forgot we were in Texas (where it is normal for children, including girls, to be shown how to handle a gun before puberty).

It came time for the women to take the range. We fired off a few rounds and then the instructor yelled, “hold your fire.” He walked down the line to a woman on the right end and corrected her stance. He proceeded to explain why it was important and as he did so, the woman looked down at the ground. He then instructed us to fire off 5 more rounds before stopping us once again. He approached that same woman and again, she looked down at the ground timidly as he gave her an aiming suggestion.

Finally, we were done and as the women walked back to the bleachers, another instructor approached us and ordered us to huddle around. I prepared myself to hear some more instructions but was taken back when he sternly said, “chin up!” Immediately, all the women stood tall. He continued, “Don’t ever look down when a man is talking to you. I want you to look them dead in the eyes.” He commended us for doing an excellent job on the range, which we had all passed, but he was not a fan of the demeanor that was displayed.

It was quite nice to have a man empower a group of women, especially in a male-dominated environment but there was something much bigger here. This instructor was able to see the inner doubt.

I don’t think the main instructor meant any harm with his comment or teaching techniques, nor do I think any of the women were sensitive. I realized that we were put in a situation where we felt uncomfortable and perhaps, a little inferior. Even so, we allowed the situation to hold us back instead of fully acknowledging our potential.

Success and the ability to achieve it largely boils down to seeing and identifying yourself as the single most powerful influence. Great achievers stay committed to learning from experiences, rather than letting them hold them back, and they don’t let obstacles or circumstances dictate the future.

To Believe in your greatness is to be on a constant quest to reinvent yourself, your life, and your vision. It is to believe that you are destined for greatness. It isn’t a goal you achieve or a skill you have, but a state of mind. Greatness is your inner power, defined by your own rules and idea of excellence. It’s also learning when to step out of your own way.

So, stop the limiting beliefs. Be confident and believe whole-heartedly in your greatness.

I leave you with a journal prompt: Write a script for what and who you want to become. What does she look like? How does she act? Then come up with three ways to put it into action.