"I have always been shy."
"People just don't like me."
"I am not as smart as others."
"I am too slow."
"I can't speak up for myself."
And many others...
The point is not whether or not you have these negative thoughts, but how often they come up and whether you believe them or not. We all deal with our inner critic from time to time. But, what makes or breaks the deal is whether we identify with that voice and act accordingly (or not act) or shut it down and step into our power.
Having an awareness of what is going on in your mind and what triggers these limiting beliefs is excellent. But awareness on its own will not create a change.
ACTION does.
Taking a specific action and addressing these limiting beliefs in a way that works best for you is what will create a lasting change in your life. You ABSOLUTELY CAN create a new reality for yourself. You can speak up for yourself, approach new people at work, let your voice be heard, and speak confidently in bigger groups. But to see those results, you must start putting yourself out there. You need to start practicing it and building it up.
Just like your physical body won't be able to lift 50 kg weight on the first try, you won't be able to speak with confidence in a big group if you have never even shared your opinions in a small meeting. You need to start building it up, step by step.
Check out my older blog post on specific ways of building more courage to speak up at work.
You have got this! You deserve better than what you may have allowed yourself to believe.