How to Live with Doubt
by Anita Mambo Cohn, LCSW
Enter doubt! You start to feel discouraged, you are uncertain or feel a lack of conviction. You want to get rid of these feelings for good and get kick doubt to the curb forever! Can you? My take on it is NO! But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Keep reading…
Some might believe that you can rid yourself of doubt for good, but we are in fact creatures of emotion. I’m going to be real with you and tell you that, for most of us, doubt will not disappear forever – and that believing you’ll ever achieve 100% self-confidence is setting yourself up for disappointment. It’s not realistic, my dears to hope to live a life without doubt.
Doubt waxes and wanes, depending on our moods, our current situation, whether we’re being triggered by a past experience, whether we’re feeling challenged, or whether we are attempting something new. Even the most confident people in the world feel vulnerable and doubtful every now and then.
Having doubt is NORMAL! It makes sense for us to question and to be afraid of the unknown – it’s a way of protecting ourselves. So don’t beat yourself up for doubting. Instead, focus on taking care of yourself. Acknowledge it, feel it, cry it out, tell yourself it will be okay, stay connected to loved ones, and KEEP GOING.
The best way to challenge doubt is to stay in the game. It’s hard to do it, but it will make you stronger.
As we’ve discussed in previous posts, entering into unknown territory is what helps us grow, change and blossom into our best selves. Sometimes we won’t feel 100%, 75%, or even 25% assured, but that’s okay. Come to terms with this and accept that the outcome is unknown, give it a shot and, if it doesn’t go according to plan, roll with it.
Still need some convincing? Let’s recap what you’ll gain by doing new things. You will:
- Learn
- Get Stronger
- Grow
Doubt is part of our journey- we need it. Questioning ourselves helps us grow, find our conviction, or change our course.
So why not try saying “bring it on” to doubt? Learn to live with it, and KEEP GOING. I’ll be there right alongside with you.