Have you ever talked yourself out of having an experience that you were initially enthusiastic about and later on wished you hadn’t?
Doubt can become a habit that can interfere with the natural progression of our involvement in life. How can we strengthen our self-trust and say ‘Yes’ to the opportunities that come our way? The rich fabric of our life experiences brings us the opportunity for self-reflection, leading to deeper meaning as we evolve in self-awareness.
When speaking about doubt, the first question should be, is it an innate or a learned response? If it is innate, then why do children seem to be immune from doubt? Children live by the motto, ‘Hey, there is a mud puddle, let’s jump in, it will be fun’. Doubting is for the most part a grown-up habit; we become conditioned to think about the mud puddle and the consequences before ever dipping a toe in it.
A recent experience showed me that I can easily succumb to doubt if I allow past prejudices to interfere with my initial enthusiasm. A friend called to invite me to come along to an outdoor public concert, “It will be great, we can dance in front of the stage”, she said. While my first reaction was excitement about the concert, the thought of dancing in front of an audience made me hesitate. I responded in a noncommittal way to the offer because of thoughts of comparing myself to others and a lack of confidence in my dancing. My initial enthusiasm began to waver as I studied the ‘mud puddle’ and doubted that I could still have fun in there. In the end I went with my first impression, and it turned out to be a fantastic experience; my initial enthusiasm proved to be correct. My doubts were quickly left behind as I just let the experience unfold, and the ‘mud puddle’ was so much fun.
Uncertainty and hesitation interfere with decision-making, and we might end up leaving ourselves out of what potentially could become a life-changing experience.
Here are a few tips on managing doubt:
- When faced with doubt, begin by writing down what you understand about the situation. Then, take note of your opinions of the situation and what the facts are. Talk to a trusted friend about your hesitations and find out where your preconceived notions may be punching holes in your initial enthusiasm.
- Invest in identifying your positive qualities so that when you need more self-confidence to tackle situations that create hesitation, you can lean into your positive traits for inner strength.
Remember to make the most of your life and seize the moment.
