When you’re feeling discouraged and doubtful, and lacking the mindset you need to step forward, here are 5 things to start telling yourself on hard days.

1.      Allow yourself to be a beginner. No one starts off being great. Do the best you can until you know better. Once you know better, do better.

2.      Stop running away. Breathe. Be where you are. You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be at this very moment. Every step and experience is necessary.

3.      You are not a product of your circumstances. You are a product of your decisions. It’s about deciding to NOT let your frustration or fear decide your future.

4.      Don’t compare your progress with others. We all need our own time to travel our own distance. Focus on the step you are taking now, and make the best of it.

5.      Your struggle is part of your story. Being rejected from something you want often means you are being directed toward something you need…to take the next best step forward.