It only takes one small doubt in your life to send your positive thoughts, dreams or aspirations into a tailspin. How many times have you had a great idea, a burning desire to accomplish a worthy goal, or perhaps wanted to start a new and exciting career during your lifetime? You then shared this idea with a close friend or relative and their first impression was to doubt your decision to move forward.
They easily found all of the reasons why you shouldn't pursue your goal. Or with regards to a new career, they quickly let you know that the pay was not good enough; you're not experienced enough; or picked apart the terms of employment or the industry you were pursuing. They focused on the facts that the cards would be stacked against you; you wouldn't be able to compete against bigger companies; and basically concluded that you should pass on what you believed was a promising opportunity.
Unfortunately small doubts could change your mind quickly. The individuals suggesting the doubt probably only have his or her life experience and knowledge to draw upon. THEY never did or even tried to accomplish YOUR present goal? So how can they possibly know what YOU are truly capable of or how the results of your efforts or the future of your life will materialize?
Unfortunately, small doubts are usually all someone needs to hear to throw in the towel. Should this be your fate? You have to realize that overcoming doubts is actually Nature's first test for you. Nature in essence is saying, "Are you SERIOUS about your goal?" If you're serious and you want to try it bad enough, then press on, and Nature will open the starting gates and let you through.
This doesn't mean that you've arrived and your situation will be perfect. This simply means that you may now start on your journey because you at least made it through the starting gate. One can only imagine all of the inventions that were never made, all of the diseases that were never cured, and all of the dreams that were never fulfilled because some small doubt entered into the minds of very capable individuals who never started their journey.
Doubt by definition is a lack of certainty. It will start a process to make your idea questionable, and convince you before you ever start that that you shouldn't even try. And if you never try, how can you possibly succeed? You'll never read a biography about a successful person who let some doubt STOP THEM. On the contrary, you'll read that they always believed in themselves, and went for their dream, regardless of doubts or obstacles.
There are all kinds of doubt. But the worst is self-doubt. It's one thing to doubt that your favorite baseball team will make it to the World Series. That's out of your control. But it's a totally different story to doubt that YOU will reach your goals. That's very much in your control. So go ahead, doubt your favorite team, but for your own sake, don't doubt yourself and stop yourself from taking advantage of a great opportunity that may come your way.
Whatever you do, don't let past failures make you doubt your future abilities. All great achievers fail often because these are the people out in the world trying to accomplish things, while the doubters are watching from the sidelines, passing up on great opportunities, because everything isn't perfect enough for them.
If anything, past failures shouldn't cause doubt. They should cause excitement that you're now one step closer to finding out what DOES work. After all, Thomas Edison once said, "I have not failed 10,000 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 10,000 ways I tried will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the one way that will work." There was absolutely no doubt to be found with Edison. It took Edison over 10,000 experiments to discover the light bulb. What if Edison doubted himself? Imagine the world without light bulbs.
Doubt creates a heavy load on your attitude. It overshadows your enthusiasm, belief, excitement and confidence. Doubt drains you of the energy you need to be a peak performer. Every minute you spend doubting your ability to succeed at something is a minute you could have invested to plan, prepare and take action toward being successful and enjoying a satisfying lifestyle.
In conclusion, there is only one way to overcome doubt. Pull it out by the roots and then plant the seeds of confidence in its place. Don't let some small doubt that may never occur, stop you from realizing bigger and better things for your life. Opportunities that come your way are never perfect. Seize them, learn from them, benefit from them, and move on as a better person!