Marsha GillWell, don’t! Everyone suffers from at least a little self-doubt. I’m just saying..it’s basic human nature. Let’s go ahead and put that out there. In some cases, self-doubt can keep you alive. Think about it, you set some unrealistic expectations, and self-doubt might sound off with hold-up girl. Whereas, wisdom will come in with, now you know, and that’s fair. But, in most situations, self-doubt only serves to limit you.
It’s no surprise that doubt and destiny can be like the two sides of a coin. Each side represents a mindset. The level of success you achieve is influenced by the level of self-doubt you experience. Self-doubt is one of the primary obstacles to living your dreams. Where does it come from? Interestingly enough, self-doubt is largely rooted in the opinions, expectations, and wounds of others clothed as wisdom.
Too often, we’re taught to believe in God but never really taught about what healthy belief in ourselves looks like. Take the scripture about the wise woman who builds her house but with her own hands, The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands, the foolish one tears hers down. In other words, a woman builds what she believes she can attain or even deserves. The same woman tears down the house that she just built. Crazy. Have you ever built yourself up and torn yourself down in the same sentence? I know; I have. Dealing with self-doubt is part of the human experience. You can either allow it to stop you, plow through it, and work to eliminate it. Eliminating self-doubt takes work, but it’s an extremely effective long-term solution.
Here’s some ways to navigate self-doubt and enjoy the success you deserve:
Be aware that self-doubt is only as limiting as you allow it to be. Just because you doubt yourself doesn’t mean you have to stop yourself. Self-doubt doesn’t have to be limiting at all if you can move past it and take courageous action anyway. Do it anyway.
Learn that others aren’t concerned with you. By overcoming your self-doubt, you’ll realize that others aren’t as concerned with you as you thought. This is a game changer and bonus; this will create a sense of peace in your life. Hello, peace, and get this by letting go of what others think; your courage grows exponentially.
Learn to accept yourself. Self-doubt can arise from having unreasonable expectations of yourself. I can’t say this enough. When we build on unreasonable expectations, we’re setting ourselves up for failure. Accepting yourself as you are will help to soothe any feelings of self-doubt.
Focus on small wins. I repeat this a lot. Focusing on “making progress” is another way to limit feelings of self-doubt. It’s also a great approach to life. Small wins are easy to accumulate and maintain. Biting off more than you can chew can be intimidating.
Effort is worthy of respect. Put some respect on it. Taking pride in the fact that you tried can short-circuit the doubt you feel in yourself. If effort is good, you’ll be less concerned about failing to get results. Showing up is more than half the battle. Good effort eventually breeds good results.
Overcoming self-doubt will give you the belief that you can overcome other personal obstacles. Why? You’ve got history with the win. Each personal battle you win gives you the confidence you need to tackle another. Come on!
Bottom line, you’ve got to put in the work..Otherwise, you’ll be dealing with the barriers of self-doubt and the rubble of blessings; it’s torn down for the rest of your life. You will never fully go after what you don’t believe you’re worthy to receive. Don’t let self-doubt stop you from living the life you were created to live.
