Surround yourself with positive and supportive people who believe in you and your goals.
Starting something new is scary. Learning to believe in yourself can be a critical precursor to starting a new initiative. Why is it so important to learn to believe in yourself? How can someone work on gaining these skills? In this interview series, we are talking to business leaders, authors, writers, coaches, medical professionals, teachers, to share empowering insights about “How To Learn To Believe In Yourself.” As a part of this series we had the pleasure of interviewing Hannah Shine, a certified deaf personal trainer, who believes in providing the correct tools and information to help others achieve optimum health! no matter your age, race, or size you can attain a healthy lifestyle.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
Childhood backstory: I was born deaf and grew up with two hearing parents and a hearing brother. Despite my disability, my parents encouraged me to pursue my passions and never let my hearing loss limit me. I learned sign language and adapted to the hearing world by reading lips and using hearing aids. I was always interested in sports and fitness, and eventually found my calling as a personal trainer.
What or who inspired you to pursue your career? We’d love to hear the story.
Inspiration: My parents were my biggest inspiration, as they always believed in me and encouraged me to pursue my dreams. They taught me the importance of hard work and dedication, and showed me that I could achieve anything I set my mind to.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Funniest mistake: When I first started out as a personal trainer, I accidentally had my clients do the wrong exercise and it didn’t end well. We all had a good laugh about it afterwards, but it taught me to always double-check and be prepared before each session.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
Current projects: I’m currently working on an online fitness program for people with disabilities, to help make fitness more accessible and inclusive for everyone.
OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the core focus of our interview. This will be intuitive to you but it will be helpful to spell this out directly. Can you help explain a few reasons why it is so important to believe in yourself? Can you share a story or give some examples?
Importance of believing in oneself: Believing in yourself is crucial because it gives you the confidence and motivation to pursue your goals and overcome obstacles. One example is when I decided to start my own personal training business. I was nervous and scared, but I believed in myself and my abilities, and it ended up being a great success.
What exactly does it mean to believe in yourself? Can I believe that I can be a great artist even though I’m not very talented? Can I believe I can be a gold medal Olympic even if I’m not athletic? Can you please explain what you mean?
What it means to believe in oneself: Believing in oneself means having confidence in your abilities and trusting that you can accomplish your goals, even if there are challenges and setbacks along the way.
Was there a time when you did not believe in yourself? How did this impact your choices?
Impact of not believing in oneself: Not believing in oneself can lead to self-doubt, fear, and missed opportunities. It can hold you back from pursuing your dreams and reaching your full potential. Of course I have experienced this myself early in my career. I truly though my hearing disability would mean I could never achieve my dream but I stay positive even at low points of my life.
At what point did you realize that in order to get to the next level, it would be necessary to build up your belief in yourself? Can you share the story with us?
Realization of the importance of self-belief: I realized the importance of self-belief when I was faced with a difficult challenge in my personal life. I had to dig deep and find the strength to overcome it, and it was through believing in myself that I was able to do so.
What are your top 5 strategies that will help someone learn to believe in themselves? Please share a story or example for each.
- Surround yourself with positive and supportive people who believe in you and your goals.
- Set achievable goals and celebrate your progress along the way.
- Focus on your strengths and build on them, rather than dwelling on your weaknesses.
- Practice self-care and self-compassion, and be kind to yourself when things don’t go as planned.
- Take action and push yourself out of your comfort zone, as this is where growth and learning happen.
Conversely, how can one stop the negative stream of self-criticism that often accompanies us as we try to grow?
Stopping negative self-criticism: One strategy is to practice mindfulness and become aware of your negative self-talk. Replace negative thoughts with positive affirmations and focus on your strengths and accomplishments.
Are there any misconceptions about self-confidence and believing in oneself that you would like to dispel?
Misconceptions about self-confidence: One misconception is that self-confidence is something you either have or don’t have, when in reality it is a skill that can be developed and strengthened over time.
What advice would you give to someone who is struggling with imposter syndrome?
Advice for imposter syndrome: Remember that everyone experiences imposter syndrome at some point, and it is a sign that you are pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. Focus on your accomplishments and remind yourself of your strengths and abilities.
Ok, we are nearly done. You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
Inspiring movement: I would love to inspire a movement to promote inclusivity and accessibility in the fitness industry, so that everyone has the opportunity to pursue a healthy and active lifestyle.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them 🙂
Person to have breakfast/lunch with: I would love to have breakfast with Michelle Obama, as she is an inspiring role model and advocate for health and fitness.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
If readers would like to follow my work they should check out the Hourglass Waist Blog! Here I post weekly articles on health and fitness.
Thank you for these really excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent with this. We wish you continued success.