Be A Darkhorse

If you can answer yes to any of these questions, this article might have a great impulse for you.
What is a dark horse? The term stems from horse racing back in the day and to this day. The term was coined for a horse nobody knows and the gambles would be unsure of placing their bets on. They provide better odds, but also carry more risks. Would you bet on a horse or any contender in a race without ever having them seen racing? No? Well, that is normal and quite wise.

But what if the dark horse is you?

Let’s imagine for a moment, that you are that dark horse. Nobody knows you, at least nobody knows your potential. You are, however, in this race with all the others. Whether you are a doctor, a teacher, a construction worker, a cashier or a stay-at-home parent. You are in competition with your peers – to which degree is up to you. 

It is easy to look at others who have outperformed the rest of us in our field, whatever that may be for you, but what if you tried something new? Enjoy being underestimated. Bathe in the fact that nobody thinks of you and how much more you have the chance to surprise them?

The element of surprise is the key element of this article. The effect of you coming out of that gate and surprising all of those who did not bet on you. Taking the analogy of the horse race again, the gambles would now pay very close attention to that new race horse – you.

But how to get there?

Do you want an example? Kim Kardashian. Wait, what? Why am I mentioning her? She has been underestimated by so many. Laughed off as a 15-minute-of-fame celebrity, but she is still around and not going anywhere soon. She took advantage of being a dark horse and eventually surprised us all, whether we like her or not. It is a story that, despite anyone’s opinion, can be a great source for inspiration. You can achieve anything, maybe even faster and easier by being laughed at, despised, underestimated. 

If you prepare, maybe even grind a bit and get ready before you get out of your box and start running, you might just enjoy that moment on the podium at the top, having surprised them all. Worst case scenario? You did your best and you are praising yourself and achieved something you never thought possible.

Go out there. Be a dark horse.

I would like to invite you to remind yourself of you strengths. I know, at first it feels silly starting a list of things you are good at or you like about yourself. Trust me, it is not. You are working on your self-image. Most likely you are underestimating yourself the most, but why do their work for them? Work on estimating yourself correctly. Stand tall in front of the mirror, ignore the negative thoughts that come to mind and just for once, play a little game with yourself and name only the good things you see. 

Positive thinking is debated here and there, while some love the law of attraction, others think of it as spiritual nonsense. Does it matter? I don’t have a definitive answer for you, but what I can tell you is, that a positive attitude towards yourself can become a habit. It is a muscle. So why not do a little habit building. Just for one week, do this exercise each morning, just you in front of a mirror and tell yourself your strengths and what you like about yourself. 

Get back to me and let me know what you noticed.

Until then, your coach Philip.