- Negativity

Beat Self-Doubt

Ways To Beat
Self-Doubt

Every so often I find myself doubting my abilities even though I’ve been congratulated, often, for my expertise. 

I’ve always loved writing… anything. Yes, anything. I’ve written the copy that’s found on packages on the shelves of your local stores. My first foray into package writing was to write the text on the plastic wrapper around a mousetrap! I’ve reviewed movies for a local magazine, been a member of a two-person team in writing an annual report for a world-renowned hospital, been a speechwriter, and written for television news and a national newspaper. 

When my friend, who has a small publishing house asked if I would write the “book matter,” text on the outside back cover of a book. I was consumed by doubt and felt wholly inadequate for the task, so I declined. 

All of us have great skills and abilities that we have been born with or that have come to us very naturally. Some people tap into these talents and use them to create exciting opportunities in their lives. Many people, however, never fully express themselves and their capabilities and they pay a great price for it.

Take a close look at anyone who has suppressed themselves in at least one area of their life. They had a talent of some sort but decided not to pursue it any longer for one reason or another; failure, ridicule, pain, and so on. In essence, they gave up on a dream.

One Root Issue

What you will notice is that people who have gone through this kind of experience tend to carry some kind of burden with them. There is a part of them that always wonders what might have been if they had not given up on their dream. The entire dilemma has been caused by one root issue and it debilitates huge numbers of people all of the time. That issue is self-doubt.

When you doubt yourself or your ability to persist in the face of adversity, you immediately cut yourself off from the internal strength and the resourcefulness required to succeed in life.

Think about professionals, in any arena, who are at the top of their game. They are admired and respected by everyone and you know by watching them, that there isn’t a shadow of doubt in their mind that they have what it takes to accomplish their goals. Even when they miss the mark or have a temporary setback, they have conditioned themselves to move forward with the knowledge that their next attempt will be successful.

Change Your Thoughts

The keyword here is “conditioning”. These elite professionals have carefully and repeatedly programmed their minds with thoughts of success, winning, and self-confidence. Very often it was done deliberately with the understanding that pique confidence comes as a result of practice. Just like you practice if you want to be a better singer, athlete, speaker, or business person.

When you learn how to dissolve your self-doubt and replace that doubt with a strong, confident inner voice that tells you to keep going in the face of adversity, you allow all of your natural talents to flow. When you reach this level of life, you automatically feel happier and you look for more opportunities to get even better at what already comes naturally.

Well, you guessed it, I gave in and did the “book matter” for my publisher friend. Since then I’ve written more than 12 “book matters” for a variety of genres. By believing in myself and permitting myself to write in this style I was able to remove any doubts about my ability.

It takes work, but the effort is worth it.

 “If you hear a voice within you say ‘You cannot paint,’ then by all means paint,
and that voice will be silenced.”
– Vincent Van Gogh

Meditation is a habit that may come easily to some. I have been meditating for over five years, but there were many days I found myself slipping. These days, not so much, not since I’ve printed out and put on my vision board over my desk these Positive Mindset graphics from Alice Seba at Publish for Prosperity.  You can get these graphics at no cost here.

If you’re interested in revitalizing your life through meditation and would like to learn a virtually risk-free, and cost-effective practice, that people of all ages can do with a little patience and guidance and that will serve you for the rest of your life, I would love to connect with you. You can connect with me here.

I’m Donna SLam, who loves to blog about how meditation brings self-compassion, peace of mind, and clarity to my life and others by sharing tips and strategies to live a fulling and purposeful life. I enjoy championing others to lead a healthy and happy life through meditation, walking, self-development, and spending time with loved ones.

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