Thankyou i will keep trying…i took to Bass pretty well and was gigging in no time but struggle with guitar and can’t help doubting my ability but must change my mind set like you say.
I can tell you honestly I “faked” it for a long time. I’ve been playing since I was 15 and I got my first guitar from a friends brother for 20 bucks. I wasn’t good at it at all, fingers were sideways, couldn’t play notes clean, didn’t know the notes on the neck, but we all start from the same spot…it’s called the beginning. All i wanted to do was play the licks and solos I heard. I was inspired to become good. Nothing worth its weight is a easy journey, my advice would to be concentrate on the road ahead not the destination.
I started playing in the late 80s early 90s right before the “grunge” scene happened. Surrounded by awesome riffs/solos it looked like everyone knew music theory and was just ripping and shredding. Maiden, Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Testament Death metal bands, Rock bands like ACDC Thrash it’s all in my head. It is what I grew up on…Probably the best guitar era ever to happen.
I’ve always been lucky to play in bands, but after a while it’s hard to make up your own songs/solos. exhausting to memorize and if you get off track your “lost”. I’ve always been thought of by my friends as a good guitarist. All the while i thought i was ok because I was missing all the theory. I mean literally my niece started taking lessons and knew the notes better than me. All I learned/taught myself was the technique, seeing the patterns, not the whys and hows.
COVID lockdown is where I found I had “new” time to reinvest in music. Having the ability to learn something is in everyone. Learning music theory reminds me of my father, he was a great piano player, loved jazz, teaching piano, judging Drum Corp, and always had “great” music on. In this way I feel connected to him and always will. My dad was the one that showed me basic music theory but I just didn’t know “how” to apply it to my guitar or in general for that matter. My hope for you is that you become inspired…music is not a contest of who can do it better or how knows more, it’s what it means to you.
Keep on trying 
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Beautiful, inspiring and wise story. Thanks for sharing💪