“OUR doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.” -William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure I had started to feel that I am not living my full potential. I have so much to offer and so much to contribute but I always used to stop myself from expressing. The biggest hindrance limiting me from fully exploring my potential was my self-doubt. I’ve struggled to assert myself for a long time. Due to my self-doubt I think. I lost a lot of visibility and influence. You see, I am much younger than my peers and I always worry about having less experience and wisdom. I don’t know what I don’t know and that affects my confidence. I was raised to be selfless and not be arrogant. I had been taught to show kindness and appreciation to others but never to myself. Since I had always been discouraged from appreciating myself, I lacked self-confidence. The feeling of self-doubt and fatigue I experienced is something many of us can relate to. Maybe I am a perfectionist who is extra critical of my work. Maybe, I set a goal that I had expected to reach by now. Or maybe, like I had stopped believing I have what it takes to get what I want. If left unchecked, the infectious bite of fear and self-doubt can spread.

 

You unconsciously start questioning your knowledge and abilities in everything you do. And if you’re like me, you desperately want to find a cure. The more you fight your self-doubt, the more it fights back. However, with self-knowledge and understanding, you can use self-doubt for your benefit. One fateful day I realised that trying to beat out my self-doubt wouldn’t rebuild my confidence. If I wanted to believe in myself, I needed to face my self-doubt and be willing to take care of it. The renowned philosopher and revolutionary thinker Karl Marx once said, “The only limit to our realisation of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” These words not only inspire but also serve as a powerful reminder of the importance of overcoming our doubts and fears in order to create a brighter future. We’ve all been there. At some points in our lives, we question whether we are doing well or are capable of facing all the uncertainties that might come up as we grow older. A certain level of self-doubt is good because it indicates that you understand what you need to improve in order to do a better job.

 

However, persistent fear and self-doubt can hugely affect your life in a bad way. Once I discovered there are negative voices running inside my head, I try to stay in the present moment and focus on the positives. If I need an optimism boost, I try making a list of things I am grateful for. This naturally shifts my thoughts in a more positive direction. Getting advice and reassurance from others can also improve our self-confidence and keep us motivated. By writing down things that I am grateful for, I start to appreciate myself more and focus on what I have instead of what I am lacking. I even stop comparing myself to others because, by looking at what I’ve written, I remind myself that I’m happy with my own life. It’s common and normal to doubt ourselves, but we need to understand that staying stuck and panicking for too long won’t do us any good. Try to get out of the loop as soon as you can and spend time on improving yourself. Self-doubt doesn’t have to hold you back.