You know that little voice?
That mean spirited, self-deprecating voice that can break your heart, and stop you dead in your tracks. That little whisper in your head that sometimes proclaims: I’m not good enough. I’m not smart enough. Or I don’t have what it takes.
That voice that has threatened you and at times, even succeeded in holding you back, defining you, stopping you from sharing your light, emanating your greatness and living the life you’ve dreamt of.
I came to a point many years ago where I was extremely exhausted by this part of me casting a negative light on what I wanted to do, squelching my true voice, and making me feel bad about who I was.
I remember sitting in my car one afternoon, one of those gorgeous sunny Southern California days, while this dark part of me cast doubt on my first manuscript. As I held it tightly in my hand, ready to send it off to one of my dear friends who was previously in the book publishing business, that judgmental, ugly part of me started an internal war.
All the work I had done, all the time I spent, years and years of writing, editing, and sharing my heart and soul, came down to an hour of internal chaos. All that hard work was reduced to 60 heart- wrenching minutes that would either commence in me moving forward with this initial baby step toward having my first book published, or result in my dream being pushed into the back seat by the fear that was overtaking me in that moment. All I wanted was his advice and his feedback. But the fear of judgment was so paralyzing that instead of getting out of the car, I just sat there staring at the manuscript in my lap.
“Why are you just sitting here Diane? Get out of the car and go mail him the book.”
“I can’t,” my not good enough self said. “He’s going to hate it. He’s read the best books out there. And this isn’t one of them.”
Oh boy, I thought. Here we go. “What do you have to lose?,” said the part of me that believed in me.
And without hesitation, my negative self arrived on the scene for yet another gut punch, “Everything. My self respect. Our precious friendship. My belief in myself and what I have to say. Forget it. It’s simply not good enough.”
Suffice it to say, the dialogue between these two parts of me went on and on, minute after minute, in that blazing sun, as I sat there for an hour wrestling with my thoughts, myself, and my future.
Fortunately, I can say that I got out of the car and sent him the book.
My first book, Clarity, the very book that I’m talking about went on to be a best selling book, a #1 new release on Amazon and was featured on 7 TV shows, 30 radios shows and helped thousands of people heal, reclaim their light, create success in their lives, forgive past hurts and heal difficult relationships. And on top of all of that, we are on the 20th Clarity Book Club series right now. Can you imagine what I and others would’ve missed out on, if I let my “not good enough” self win that day?
And yet, unfortunately, many of us can say that our not good enough self has won arguments just like this one, more often than the “good enough, go for it, you’ve got this” self has throughout our lives.
Maybe you too have experienced this internal tug of war and are sick and tired of it, after 20, 30, 40 or even 50 years of this foul-mouthed, obnoxious, dream-killing voice and self-sabotaging, diminishing part of you, robbing you of the life you truly want to live.
If this is the case, you are in the right place, as I will tell you that I am a master of, a true expert of the “not good enough self.” I’ve spent a lifetime working to make peace with this part of me.
Throughout this remarkable journey, one of my biggest accomplishments has been helping others reclaim their light. During thousands of hours of coaching others over the past 20 years, I have witnessed the debilitating ways this not good enough, limiting self can keep the greatest, most unique human beings from fulfilling their purpose and creating what they desire in their lives. Sometimes it’s mind boggling to witness all the light people possess and how quickly they jump to diminish it and discount it.
If you too, are tired of allowing this part of you to rob you of your dreams and hold you back, start this journey with me by ordering a copy of my new book, “More Than Enough”: a guide to finally feeling good enough, smart enough, talented enough, courageous enough, or whatever ‘not enough’ you continually judge yourself for, so you can free yourself from the constant inner criticism, become who you’re meant to be, live your best life, and enjoy the journey, along the way.
As my thank you for ordering, I am gifting an autographed copy of my best-selling book, Clarity. It will be shipped to you this week (free of charge). Clarity has been featured on 7 TV shows, 30 radio shows, and in many publications and was a #1 new release on Amazon. You will also be the first to receive excerpts, just like this one, from More Than Enough over the next few weeks.
Thank you for joining me for this empowering journey! I know you will LOVE this book as much as I do. Love,
I’m inspired by Diane’s ability to profoundly and intuitively connect people to the root of their unhappiness. With Altomare’s revolutionary approach to living your life from the inside out, you can’t help but feel greater peace, happiness, and fulfillment.
I’ve been fortunate enough to work with Diane Altomare. Diane has always been someone that I could turn to to help me cope with the pressures of being on television everyday… from the constant criticism to those little voices in my head that told me I wasn’t smart enough, pretty enough or funny enough… I know I am not alone in those feelings. She also helped me work through the guilt and pressures of being a working mom.
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Diane Altomare is a Master Certified Integrative life coach to thousands of people worldwide. She is often a featured guest on NBC, ABC7 News, more than 30 local and nationally syndicated radio shows, including CBS Radio and NPR and has contributed to many publications including Mind Body Green, AARP and the Chicago Tribune. For the past 20 years, as a beloved motivational speaker and workshop leader, she has helped thousands of people transform from a limiting past to an inspiring future. Known as “the coach with the authentic, gentle, & laser-focused approach,” she has a gift for nailing the deep truth behind any situation. She is the author of Clarity: 10 Proven Strategies to Transform Your Life, which jumped to the #1 New Release spot on Amazon in Emotional Self-Help.