That little voice is so real. You naming it at Grade 8 is the brave part. Most people live their whole lives never saying it.
This is My Way to Stop Selling My Self Short
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Have you ever felt like your achievements were just pure luck, not the result of your actual hard work? Or perhaps you’ve felt like you weren’t smart enough, talented enough, or "cool" enough compared to others?
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That little voice is so real. You naming it at Grade 8 is the brave part. Most people live their whole lives never saying it.
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This is My Eay to Stop Selling My Self Short
Have you ever felt like your achievements were just pure luck, not the result of your actual hard work? Or perhaps you’ve felt like you weren’t smart enough, talented enough, or "cool" enough compared to others?
To be honest, I’ve felt that way so many times. As a Grade 8 student, I often found myself feeling insecure about my peers’ achievements—the ones who always seem to be in the spotlight or the "teacher’s pet." People probably see me as an ordinary student who isn’t chasing grades, but deep down, I’m secretly trying to prove my worth and my talent to the world.
As a student in eighth grade, I have big ambitions. In silence, I’ve been working hard to prove that I have talent, capability, and achievements. I started joining online olympiads, and eventually, I won a National Gold Medal in English. But funny enough, a little voice in my head still whispers, "That’s nothing; it’s not as impressive as what others have achieved."
If you know that feeling, it’s called:
“Selling Yourself Short."
I’ve been there, and it’s exhausting. It almost made me want to give up. We unconsciously undermine our own abilities and are afraid to admit that we are actually capable
After reflecting on it, here is why we always sell ourselves short:
1. The Social Media Highlight Reel: We constantly compare our "behind-the-scenes" to everyone else’s "highlight reel." We see someone else’s success on Instagram or TikTok and feel left behind. But remember, those are just moments of happiness—people rarely post their struggles, tears, or the hard work they endured to get there.
2. Fear of Being Called Arrogant: We sometimes think that being proud of our achievements is the same as being arrogant. In reality, acknowledging your own hard work is far from arrogance; it’s called self-appreciation.
3. Focusing on Results, Not the Process: We get too obsessed with medals or numbers, forgetting that it’s the process that shapes us, not just the outcome. Staying up late to study, reading books over and over, and memorizing formulas—that is the real achievement.
Now that we know why we do this, let’s stop undermining ourselves.
Here are some tips you can try!
1. The Win List (Achievement Journal): Every day, write down one small thing you’ve done well. It doesn’t have to be winning a competition. Successfully studying for 30 minutes or finally understanding a new concept is an achievement, too! It helps your brain focus on your progress, not your flaws.
2. Self-Reward: When you achieve something, don’t just jump to the next target. Take a break. Buy something you want or go somewhere that makes you happy. That is a form of self-reward.
3. Stop Seeking External Validation: We often feel worthy only when others praise us. From now on, try to be the first person to praise yourself. If you aren’t proud of yourself, who will be?
4. Reflect on Your Journey: Look at who you were a year ago and compare it to who you are now. You’ve definitely grown, right? That growth is real, and it’s all thanks to your own hard work.
I’m still in Grade 8, and my journey is just beginning. My target is to get into my dream school, and I know that confidence—and stopping this habit of selling myself short—is a requirement to evolve into a better version of me.
We all have potential far greater than we can imagine. Don’t let your self-doubt stifle that potential or stop you from shining
Stop selling yourself short, because you are capable of so much more than you think. Keep fighting, keep trying, keep developing, prove it all to everyone, and never forget
to be proud of yourself!
Thoughts
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The highlight-reel point is older than the phone. People have measured themselves against a polished neighbor since long before Instagram gave the neighbor a filter. That envy isn't a flaw you invented at fourteen, it's very old human wiring. Naming it, the way you did, is most of the cure.
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What made you ask yourself 'If you aren't proud of yourself, who will be?' Like, was there a moment you realized the external validation thing wasn't working?
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Your second point is the one worth framing carefully. Arrogance isn't feeling proud of a real result, it's claiming more than the evidence supports. A National Gold Medal is the evidence. Saying so out loud isn't bragging, it's just accurate. The honest account you'd give a friend about what they've actually done, you're allowed to owe yourself the same one.
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The Win List is my favorite tip. Real question: does a study session make the list, or does the voice veto it before you write it down?
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Honestly the highlight reel thing is true, but even people you know in person do it. Everyone curates some version of themselves.
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That voice is so real. I spent years discounting good things because I learned my worth had to come from outside. When approval came, I didn't trust it anyway. A National Gold Medal counts. The discounting is the lie.
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That little voice is so real. You naming it at Grade 8 is the brave part. Most people live their whole lives never saying it.
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I'm curious how the Win List feels. Does a 30-minute study feel as real to you as the gold medal, or is it different?
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