The Mel Robbins Podcast

2 Ways to Believe in Yourself & Achieve Cool Things

Order your copy of The Let Them Theory 👉 https://melrob.co/let-them-theory 👈 The #1 Best Selling Book of 2025 🔥 Discover how much power you truly have. It all begins with two simple words. Let Them. — This episode is a masterclass in how to believe in yourself, no matter what obstacles you face. Learn how to achieve your most ambitious #goals and do it with #confidence. Once you listen, your self-doubt won’t stand a chance. You’ll learn: - One crucial step to start believing in yourself - The surprising cure for self-doubt - What David Goggins taught Mel about how to motivate yourself - “You against you” – the reframe that Mel can’t stop talking about - Why your self-confidence is critical to you feeling happier - What it means to “speak truth to power” and how it will boost your confidence - The acceptance speech people can’t stop talking about - The person you need to thank every day - One powerful question to help you stop your self-doubt for good - What you should expect every single time you do something hard To go deeper into the topics shared in today’s episode, including links to all videos and resources mentioned, click here for the episode resource page: http://www.melrobbins.com/podcasts/episode-142 Follow The Mel Robbins Podcast Instagram: https://bit.ly/3QfG8bb Here is the link to my daughter, Kendall Robbins', debut single "pass time" https://open.spotify.com/album/7gSe9Z65Rh5FknxlfTHgBd I’m just your friend. I am not a licensed therapist, and this podcast is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional. Got it? Good. I’ll see you in the next episode. In this episode: 00:00 Intro 06:08: The acceptance speech people can’t stop talking about. 10:25: Your self-confidence is critical to your life. Here’s why. 10:47: What does it mean to “speak truth to power” and why should you do it? 14:15: This person is the only one who knows what it’s like to be you. 19:15: A powerful assignment that will remind you that you’re winning. 24:00: How you turn a loss into a win and why that matters. 30:14: How do you start believing in yourself when you don’t? 31:10: Expect this, and your life will be a little easier. 32:10: The most inspirational human being, according to Mel. 34:55: The clip that fires Mel up every time she hears it. 38:30: Identify this, and you get more clarity around your resistance. 49:14: Mel calls BS on this habit. 50:25: You heard it here first: Kendall Robbins’ brand new single! 🎉 — Follow Mel: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melrobbins/ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@melrobbins Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melrobbins LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melrobbins Website: http://melrobbins.com — Sign up for Mel’s newsletter: https://melrob.co/sign-up-newsletter A note from Mel to you, twice a week, sharing simple, practical ways to build the life you want. — Subscribe to Mel’s channel here: https://www.youtube.com/melrobbins?sub_confirmation=1 — Listen to The Mel Robbins Podcast 🎧 New episodes drop every Monday & Thursday! https://melrob.co/spotify https://melrob.co/applepodcasts https://melrob.co/amazonmusic — Looking for Mel’s books on Amazon? Find them here: The Let Them Theory: https://amzn.to/3IQ21Oe The Let Them Theory Audiobook: https://amzn.to/413SObp The High 5 Habit: https://amzn.to/3fMvfPQ The 5 Second Rule: https://amzn.to/4l54fah

Mel RobbinshostNiecy Nash-BettsguestGuestguest

Jan 29, 202454mWatch on YouTube ↗

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Unlocking Self-Belief: Thank Yourself, Battle Old You, Achieve More

Mel Robbins uses Niecy Nash-Betts’ viral Emmy acceptance speech to explore self-esteem, self-belief, and the power of thanking yourself for your own hard work and resilience.
She emphasizes that meaningful goals will often “gut” you, and that real progress comes from expecting difficulty, acting before you feel ready, and continuing despite repeated setbacks.
Drawing on David Goggins’ philosophy, Mel reframes growth as a daily battle of “you against you,” specifically you versus older, insecure versions of yourself that still influence your behavior.
Through personal stories and exercises, she guides listeners to identify the past self they’re fighting, celebrate their own wins, and build self-esteem by taking consistent action.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Thanking yourself is a practical way to build self-esteem.

Openly acknowledging your own effort—just as Niecy Nash-Betts did—reinforces your value, validates your struggles, and helps you recognize how far you’ve come, even when others don’t see it.

Expect big goals to be hard and sometimes emotionally brutal.

Mel stresses that anything truly meaningful will include days that “gut” you; anticipating this difficulty keeps you from quitting when the process inevitably feels painful or unfair.

Action comes before belief, not the other way around.

You don’t wait to feel confident to start; you act as if you believe—whether that’s working out, quitting a habit, applying for something—and the repeated actions gradually create genuine self-belief.

Your real opponent is an old version of you.

Following David Goggins, Mel reframes growth as a daily battle with past selves (e.g., insecure, people-pleasing, fearful versions) whose narratives still drive your hesitation and self-sabotage.

Identifying which past self is holding you back unlocks change.

Once you can name the specific “old you” (like Mel’s anxious fourth-grader or her daughter’s insecure sophomore self), you can consciously outwork that identity instead of unconsciously obeying it.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

And you know who I want to thank? I want to thank me.

— Niecy Nash-Betts

As an artist, my job is to speak truth to power, and baby, I'm going to do it to the day I die.

— Niecy Nash-Betts

It’s not called mama esteem, them esteem, us esteem. It’s called self-esteem, 'cause don’t nobody got to believe it but you.

— Niecy Nash-Betts

There’s no hacks, bro. It’s you against you.

— David Goggins

Don’t you dare forget the one person that knows exactly how hard it was for you to keep showing up.

— Mel Robbins

The importance of self-esteem and valuing yourselfNiecy Nash-Betts’ Emmy speech as a model of self-recognitionExpecting struggle and emotional “gutting” when pursuing big goalsThe concept of “you against you” and battling past versions of yourselfAction as the cure for self-doubt and the precursor to self-beliefPractical self-thanking and daily win-recognition habitsOvercoming fear of judgment and imposter feelings when showing up publicly

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