It seems as though most of us suffer here from some version of “not being good enough” to one degree or another; some people shape their whole life out of that perception. This feeling of self-doubt becomes the lens by which we see and hear everything that happens in our life, distorting many important truths, while causing us to do many artificial things—to be untrue to ourself, to try to manage our image in others’ eyes, to do things that aren’t right for us, to doubt love when it is genuinely offered, to keep others at a distance; to devalue our own unique contributions; to shrink back when stepping forward would make a difference. This darkened view of our self limits our experience of joy and freedom to be and do in this life. We disempower ourselves—but it is all coming from one source: our own thinking. We are the ones who deny ourselves permission to find ourselves worthwhile, lovable, capable creators of a powerful life.
The Godseed: Probing the Mystery of Spiritual Development by M. Catherine Thomas Digital Legend Press; 1st edition (2014) page 105