Failure, Rejection, And Not Enoughness (The Gruesome 3)
Welcome to today's episode of Shrink for the Shy Guy! You are brave for clicking on this one because today we're tackling the gruesome three—failure, rejection, and not-enoughness. As we approach Halloween, it's time for some real horror stories—those emotions we avoid like the plague, yet they shape so much of our lives. Forget the bat-like creatures from horror movies; the fear of failure, rejection, and feeling like you're not enough are way scarier and far more avoided. But you're here, and that’s already a bold step. This episode will shed light on these dreaded feelings, helping you realize that you're not alone and that the experience isn't as terrible as it seems when we look at it together. We're diving deep into how personalizing these feelings makes them so much worse and how to shift your perspective to make them more manageable. These emotions—failure, rejection, and not-enoughness—are what hold so many of us back from living the life we truly want. The good news? They don’t have to. Let's dig into these feelings, challenge them, and see what’s really going on beneath the surface. Thanks for joining me on this brave journey! Visit DrAziz.com to learn more and register for my upcoming virtual event, End Social Anxiety Now. ------------------------------------------------ You’re brave. You clicked on this episode, even though the title probably made you wince: Failure, Rejection, and Not Enoughness. These aren’t just abstract concepts; they’re feelings we all try to avoid. But if you’re listening today, that means you’re ready to face them, and that takes courage.Halloween might be around the corner, but forget about spooky movies with bat-like creatures jumping out to scare you. The real horror? Facing failure, rejection, and that sinking feeling of not being enough. People will line up to watch a horror movie, but when it comes to willingly diving into their fears of failure or rejection, that’s a different story.So, let’s dive into these “Gruesome Three.” By the end of this post, you’ll not only understand why they have such a hold over you, but also how to soften their grip and start living more freely. When Was the Last Time You Felt One of These? For many, it’s probably quite recent. Maybe it’s happening right now as you’re reading this. These feelings don’t need dramatic events to show up. You can feel like a failure just by not checking off everything on your to-do list. Rejection can come from someone taking too long to text you back. And not enoughness? That can hit just from looking in the mirror.For some, these feelings come and go, but for others, they can be a constant, suffocating presence. I know, because I lived there. When I had severe social anxiety, it was like living in a soup of failure, rejection, and not enoughness. And the worst part? The more I avoided those feelings, the more power they gained. The Insanity of Avoidance Most people’s unspoken life plan is to avoid failure, rejection, and the feeling of not being enough. Seems logical, right? But here’s the catch: these feelings find a way to creep back in. Even if you don’t get rejected by someone because you avoid social situations, that feeling of not being enough might sneak in when you see someone else confidently talking to others.So we think, “Well, if I avoid these feelings, I’ll be fine.” But avoidance isn’t freedom. It’s a life lived in fear. The Insane Setup We Create We’ve set ourselves up with impossible expectations: Every action I take should go exactly as I want. Every person I interact with should respond the way I want them to. If not, I’m a failure and I need to feel awful about myself.It’s an insane setup. We’re demanding perfection from ourselves and others, and when that doesn’t happen, we slide down into a pit of shame and self-criticism. But here’s the key: it doesn’t have to be that way. A New Way Forward Instead of avoid
