What’s the old belief you’ve been choking on like an inhaled crumb? That persistent whisper: “I’m not good/clever/interesting/experienced… enough.”
Not enough for what? And for who?
Many people secretly feel they’re auditioning. Every time they breathe too loudly, say “no”, try something new, or dare to take up space, they feel like someone is scoring their performance.
Here’s the reality: “Good enough” isn’t a real thing. It’s not a milestone you reach, a badge you earn, or a qualification you can add to your CV. It’s a neurological panic loop, driven by an ancient survival system that believes visibility equals danger.
It’s stealing your joy, energy, and creativity.
Your Brain Is Trying to Save You
Vulnerability is built into daily life. We juggle family and work, challenges come up with health or finances, and we can’t control unexpected incidents. Every one of them can trigger your amygdala, the brain’s panic alarm, which screams:
“Danger! You might fail. You might disappoint someone. You might end up alone with forty-two cats or an Alsatian who’ll eventually eat you.” (Bridget Jones would be proud.)
Your brain isn’t being dramatic for fun. It’s remembering childhood, where survival often meant being agreeable, quiet, adaptable, or invisible. These patterns kept you safe once, but as an adult, they keep you small and make life stressful.
This is why sometimes even simple things feel disproportionately risky.
Have that conversation?
Ask for what you need? Post a vulnerable message on social media?
Your amygdala reacts as if you’re stepping into traffic.
Logic Can’t Talk You Out of It
You might think, “I know I’m capable, so why doesn’t it feel that way?”
The prefrontal cortex, the part of your brain responsible for logic and strategy, shuts down the moment your fear alarm goes off, which is why you can’t “positive think” your way out of self-doubt.
Instead, your hippocampus (your memory hoarder) and your Default Mode Network dredge up every old story of not being enough:
“Others are doing better.” “You should be working harder.” “Don’t rest, you’ll get left behind.”
So, you slide back into performance mode: overworking, over-delivering, overachieving… then calling it “winning at life.”
But this cycle isn’t healthy. It’s fear wearing a power suit.
The Real Truth Behind Self-Belief
The sentence that shifts everything:
“I’m not too much or too little. I’ve always been enough. I’m just feeling an old fear that I won’t be safe.”
Someone, somewhere in your early life wired your nervous system to believe that safety meant fitting in, pleasing others, and staying small. I believe those fears get imprinted as blocks in our chakra energy flow.
But they no longer serve us
You’re here to thrive.
If you feel like things are spiralling, here’s a quick exercise to help:
-Turn one palm up and the other down now hook your fingers together. Pull as hard as you can and hold for ten seconds
-What you’ve just done is remind your brain where your body is and activated the Vagus nerve using resistance input.
-That has told your whole body it can step down and relax, so it can concentrate on resting and restoring.
The world needs you to take up space, set boundaries, speak honestly, and trust your own voice
It wants you, the full you – the one who is already enough.
To see how my programme Chakras, Colour and Coaching could help to less anxiety and more self-belief , book a free clarity call, 01245 325037 or book online.