It occurred to me the other day that I could describe our clinic this way:

• We’re the most expensive
• We have the worst parking
• We offer the most inconvenient hours

Every one of those is true. But I’m not going to focus on them.

Why? Because faced with the decision to talk about our crap parking or our ability to resolve chronic problems that no one else has been able to, I’ll pick the latter. Why? Because I get to choose. I get to decide whether to a) obsess about the parking problem or b) focus on things that matter more.

I suspect you’re the same. You’re not shouting from the rooftops that you have the most cramped waiting room, or that your website sucks. We all know better.

But that choice we make about how to speak of our practices is the same choice we’re offered when we choose to speak about ourselves. So why, then, do we say things like:

• I’m bad with money
• I’m no good at business
• I’m terrible at marketing

When we could say:

• I’m great a connecting with people
• I make people feel comfortable
• I can listen better than almost anyone I know

It doesn’t mean you should ignore an important weakness. But you don’t have to describe yourself in the context of it. If you choose to describe yourself in negative terms, you’re missing out on far too many great things.

This isn’t just about positive self-talk. It’s about choosing to focus on strengths while you learn. There’s a difference, and it’s a choice. But if you don’t choose, you’re letting the part of you that’s scared decide on your behalf. And that’s a lot worse than lousy parking.