Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? / If I Could Tell You Just One Thing... Quotes

“The key to building confidence is quite the opposite. It means we are willing to let fear be present as we do the things that matter to us.”
― Julie Smith, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? / If I Could Tell You Just One Thing...

“Something that has helped me a lot is understanding that how other people respond to my failures does not provide an accurate assessment of my personality and worthiness as a human, but instead indicates how that person relates to failure.”
― Julie Smith, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? / If I Could Tell You Just One Thing...

“If you slow your breathing down, you can calm the body and, in turn, slow your breathing. Not only this, but if you can extend the outbreath so that it is longer or more vigorous than the inbreath, this helps to slow your heart rate down. When the pounding heart comes down, so does the anxiety response. Some people like to count the breaths when doing an extended outbreath, such as breathing in for a count of 7 and out for a count of 11, or a variation that works for you.”
― Julie Smith, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? / If I Could Tell You Just One Thing...

“Thoughts are not facts. They are guesses, stories, memories, ideas and theories. They are a construct offered to you by your brain as one potential explanation for the sensations you are experiencing right now.”
― Julie Smith, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? / If I Could Tell You Just One Thing...

“One way to get that distance from anxious thoughts is to use distanced language. This helps to turn the dial down on the emotion. Rather than saying ‘I am going to make a fool of myself during this speech,’ say, ‘I’m having thoughts about making a fool of myself. I notice those thoughts trigger feelings of anxiety.’ I know thinking or speaking in this way may feel awkward at first. But it makes a difference in helping you to step back from the thoughts and see them as an experience, not as you.”
― Julie Smith, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? / If I Could Tell You Just One Thing...

“When outbreaths are longer and more forceful than inbreaths, this slows the heart rate and calms the body.”
― Julie Smith, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? / If I Could Tell You Just One Thing...

“In many cases, this is associated with a disconnect from core values. Life has pulled them away from what matters most to them. Working to get real clarity on your values can do a number of things. It can give a guide on the direction you want to head in, an idea of the types of goals that will be most fulfilling and purposeful. It can help you to persevere through painful points in life and, crucially, to remind yourself that even when times are hard, you are on the right path.”
― Julie Smith, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? / If I Could Tell You Just One Thing...

“Keeping our values front and centre also helps us to persevere through painful points in life knowing we’re on the right path.”
― Julie Smith, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? / If I Could Tell You Just One Thing...