One Quote That Boosts My Confidence

Summary

A programmer finds reassurance in a Romanian saying rooted in the Bible, "We are not given more than we can handle," to overcome moments of doubt and frustration when facing new challenges.

Abstract

The author, a programmer, frequently encounters new and challenging tasks that can lead to a loss of confidence, especially when immediate success is elusive. Despite a history of overcoming obstacles, the author struggles with self-doubt during prolonged periods of difficulty. The discovery of a Romanian saying, which echoes a biblical sentiment, has provided a source of confidence and calm, reinforcing the belief that one is equipped to handle current challenges. This realization not only relaxes the author but also broadens perspective, allowing for smarter problem-solving strategies to emerge, and reinforces the idea that past successes are foundational blocks for future achievements.

Opinions

The author acknowledges a personal weakness in confidence when dealing with new challenges, despite being a seasoned programmer.
There is a recognition that past experiences have generally led to success, suggesting a statistical pattern of resilience.
Common motivational advice, such as the idea that problems are a matter of perspective, is intellectually acknowledged but not emotionally resonant during moments of frustration.
The Romanian saying, "We are not given more than we can handle," provides a profound sense of reassurance and shifts the author's mindset from doubt to capability.
The author believes that maintaining calmness and a positive outlook is crucial for problem-solving and avoiding tunnel vision.
The saying inspires the author to recognize their own adequacy and the value of past experiences as tools for current and future challenges.

What I remember when I am feeling down.

Everyone has their weak parts. For me is that I lose my confidence too early when I deal with new challenges.

Since I am a programmer, I deal with tasks I have never solved before regularly. You would think I got used to them after multiple years, but I still end up feeling down when I see I am struggling with no success. It is frustrating. This is the area where I get most of my doubts from.

However, when I look back, I can hardly remember a time when I struggled and did not ultimately succeed.

Statistically, there is no reason to think I cannot handle a task well.

Yet, when it’s been hours or even days of unsuccessfully looking for mistakes in the code, I feel discouraged. I know all the theory saying that it’s not the problem, it’s how we view the problem, but I still feel frustrated and these words do not click with me in those moments.

Some months ago I remembered this Romanian saying that I have known for a long time. Now that I tried to research the author, I see that the idea stems from the Bible and it goes like this:

We are not given more than we can handle.

I do not know why this sentence resonated so much with me, but it did. I often think about it when I lose my confidence. I feel calmer and more positive right away. It does not say that I should do something, or that I should stop doing something.

It just states that I already have all I need to get over my problem. Full stop.

And then, because I realize I can solve this problem, I genuinely feel a relaxation that is close to what I feel when I am actually done with the task. It opens my mind about what I can do about it. Sometimes when I am stressed, I get tunnel vision, which is never helpful.

The calmer I am, the easier it is to see the bigger picture and take smarter steps.

I find it relieving to approach life problems with this thought. There is comfort in knowing that I am enough just the way I am now. All obstacles from the past were building blocks I can now rely on to face my problem. Then I can place this success as a new building block for my future self.