The biggest difference I’ve noticed between successful entrepreneurs and unsuccessful entrepreneurs isn’t intelligence or opportunity or resources. It’s their belief in themselves and conviction that they have the ability to achieve their goals.
That’s not to imply that they don’t occasionally wander into the dark abyss of doubts or uncertainty. The learning point is that the successful entrepreneur doesn’t take up residence in doubt. Rather, it’s a brief visit, and then they take action to shift back into belief and conviction.
Even today, after having my business for 16 years, the voice of doubt can claim my attention and it says…”You can’t do it. You’ll never make it. You’re going to fail.” This voice is my harshest critic and, if allowed, can beat me down with it’s running commentary.
Self-doubt occurs when we focus on what’s missing in us and on everything that’s going wrong in our business, regardless of our achievements successes and accomplishments.
“When you doubt your power, you give power to your doubt.”
~ Honore de Balzac
Self-doubt is sneaky, greedy and is often in disguise. When unfettered, it slips in and devours your confidence, strips logic and intelligent reason from your thinking. It can rob you of your happiness and determination and clouds the path before you.
Where does self-doubt come from? It comes from a story that we’re not good enough because of some negative experiences we had in childhood. Each person has her own past and her own story. We could spend our entire lives giving our power to the past, to the people and experiences that caused us pain.
If you’ve been following me for some time, you know some of the stories from my past that held me hostage for decades. You also have come to know I’m an unconventional thinker. Here’s an example of my atypical approach. With self-knowledge and understanding, you can use self-doubt for your benefit.
How? Self-doubt introduces us to our inner strength and is the path for us to break free from the limiting beliefs, the stories, that sabotage our success. Using our inner strength to unravel the story, let go of the limitations, we then will have clarity and confidence in ourselves and our abilities to achieve what’s important to us.
The truth is that we have a choice; use the story to connect us with our strength by finding the lesson, positivity and benefit the story offers us or to let the story destroy our dreams and prevent us from seeing and experiencing our potential.
Moving forward in life without questioning the story we created from the experience blinds us from seeing the reality of the situation and stepping into our own power. We lose our power, and we become confused about our identity and self-worth.
If you’re in the clutches of self-doubt, here are five questions from Cynthia Belmer of MindBodyGreen that will challenge you to get your power back:
1. What’s the story you’re telling yourself about a specific experience? What’s the underlying belief you have in this story?
2. Is this belief or thought 100% true? Is it something that you’re telling yourself because you’re familiar with what to expect from these thoughts? If your answer to this is yes, then what’s the proof that your belief is true?
3. How has this story served you in the past? What needs were met when you told yourself this story?
4. Do you want to keep this thought or story in your life? If not, are you ready to let it go? Your answer must be either yes or no. If you come up with excuses, then you’re setting yourself up to experience yet another cycle of self-doubt.
5. What do you want instead of self-doubt? Why is it important for you to have it? What value would it bring into your life?
Changing self-doubt into self-belief is a choice.
One of my foundational beliefs is that I, you, we can become better at being our true authentic self. We have the amazing ability to create. We can make these things happen when we make the choice to do so.
If you don’t believe that it’s possible for you to have a business and a life you love, then it’s hard to make any progress. I don’t care how good the ideas are or how hard your work, nothing will work for you if you don’t believe in it. And more importantly, nothing will work if you don’t believe in yourself.
Self-belief introduces you to your potential, your dreams and possibilities. Believing in yourself keeps you on track with your dreams. Self-doubt derails you. The choice is yours.
When you’re in self-doubt, your potential may not be invisible to you. If you don’t see what you’re capable of being and doing, you’ll never become it. I love this quote from Violet Anedkova: “Authenticity doesn’t equal reality. It equals potential.”
And on the occasion when self-doubt creeps in, and it will, repeat after me:
1. I am amazing
2. I can do and be as I believe
3. Self-belief is a choice
4. Join me in celebrating my uniqueness
5. I am prepared to succeed!
I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed writing it. Did you have an aha, or lightbulb moment that you’d like to share? Please do so below – I personally read and respond to each comment.
