It is a universally acknowledged truth that self-doubt is an unwanted and unexpected intruder in our daily lives. It wraps itself around us like cling wrap from hell, sucking away our confidence in our own abilities, the love of others, and even our creativity. And of course, it sneaks into all the little crevices of your life like your job, your hobbies, and even your relationship. It sometimes even creeps into surprising places, like ordering a pizza or choosing a movie while out with a bunch of friends.
Unwanted and unexpected, I tell you.
This little invader defeats you before you’ve even started, takes away the trust you should have in yourself, and crushes your self-esteem like those hydraulic presses on Youtube destroy bowling balls and Nokia phones. Yes, I have compared the destruction of your self-esteem by the villainous self-doubt to the destruction of the all-mighty and powerful Nokia. But it kind of makes sense.
You’re all powerful. You can create. You can imagine. You can change this world. You are the Nokia phone and the hydraulic press is self-doubt. You don’t have to let it crush you. You can recognize the signs for what they are, look up at the slowly approaching hydraulic press aka self-doubt, and tell it to kindly fuck off for the following 5 reasons.
1. Self-doubt is a thief of power.
Self-doubt is a tricky motherfucker who makes you think that YOU don’t have the power to change your life, improve yourself, or even trust yourself in the decisions you make on a daily basis. It strips you, throws you in a corner, and tells you that that’s your place. Alone and curled up in the darkness. Joke’s on self-doubt because even naked in a corner we have our hands, our feet, and our mouths to write, walk, and talk our way to something better. We have the power even when we feel like we don’t.
2. Self-doubt kills creativity.
The creepy little gremlin known as self-doubt loves to make you feel like your beautiful words, works of art, and thoughts don’t match up to the “other.” The “other” being your best friend who can draw better, a colleague who kills it every damn week in brainstorming sessions, or that guy on the corner who makes crepes better than you can ever imagine in your life. Self-doubt makes you forget that there is and will always be a well of creativity inside of you. So what if it’s a little lopsided? So what if it’s a little lumpy and made up of a bunch of different things? It’s yours and no one else has it. So get out there and create!
3. Self-doubt stops relationships in their tracks.
Whether it’s your boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, family member, or friend, relationships take time and confidence in the bond you have with these people. Self-doubt makes you second guess where you stand in these relationships and sometimes makes you see things that aren’t even there. It takes away your drive to take risks for that other person or try to make things bigger, better, and brighter. Most importantly, self-doubt stops you from truly building something wonderful with the people around you based on love, hope, humor, and respect. Don’t let self-doubt stop you from having that!
4. Self-doubt stops you from accepting yourself.
Who told you that you weren’t enough? That fickle bitch self-doubt did! She crept in when you weren’t looking, latched onto your back, and tricked you so you wouldn’t see the glaringly obvious truth. You, the person reading this, are worthwhile. You are deserving. You are talented. You are dynamic. And there is no one else like you. You know it, so why let self-doubt crush all of that? *gestures at all of you* Take a step back, flip self-doubt over your shoulder, and be proud of who you are and how far you’ve gotten. Self-doubt was a busy body leech on your back and nothing else. You got yourself to this point in your life. Now keep going!
5. Self-doubt blinds you to how much others love you.
You are loved by those around you for simply being you. And when you realize that singular fact, life becomes a little bit less lonely, and a lot brighter. You realize you have support for those hard moments and company for those easy on the heart. So why let down those people? Why not kick self-doubt to the curb like a lazy ex and return the love they’re wholeheartedly giving to you? Why wait?
Tell your self-doubt to finally fuck off and start living.
