The Doubts Stop Here.

        I never thought keeping up with a blog would be this hard… I imagined there would be a lot of work that I would have to put into it but you never really know the effort something takes until you commit to the action.  The action I have committed to is writing once a week. Which seems simple enough until you wait until 10pm a few Mondays in a row to start writing… Oops. #guilty.

       So here I lay, computer in my lap, kept company by two sweet puppies I am dog sitting and too many nasty doubts to count. The latter of which are swirling uncomfortably in my head, the former are keeping me warm and comfortable by snuggling next to me.

     I am not sure if you have experienced this as well, but I find that the nasty doubts that prevent me from becoming my best self seem to pop up when I am thinking about the things that light me up the most.  

Here are a few lovely examples of the chatter in my head:

Thought: Oh! I could be a writer who inspires people and makes them laugh.

Doubt chatter: Are you kidding? You know next to nothing about writing and no one will ever think you are funny.

Thought: I could definitely be a yoga teacher, I love helping people see growth and development with their bodies.

Doubt chatter: Touching your toes JUST became available to you.. And you are a few weeks of limited stretching away from losing that. Do you really think people would take yoga from a seriously inflexible person?

            Why do we let these doubts and negative self-talk have such a place of importance in our lives? It’s like we have a really negative cheerleader on our side of the court that does the opposite of inspiring greatness. It is time to ditch the cheerleader and figure out ways you can actually combat the doubt monsters. I have found it effective to think up retorts to the negativity that wells up in my head.  If you are able to quickly come up with a response to the doubt, it’s power over you will diminish exponentially.

Example:

            Hey Awesome and Beautiful Self, consider the possibility that being an inflexible yoga teacher may actually be really inspiring to people who need yoga the most. I could relate to people who are seeking mobility and I myself would be extremely challenged by the training.

The doubt monsters and chatter may never go away but you can be creative with the ammunition you choose to use in battle. I work hard every day to think up ways I can circumvent the doubts but another way to kill the chatter is to do the very thing the doubts say you cannot do.  

“We’ll never survive!” 
“Nonsense. You’re only saying that because no one ever has.” 
-William Goldman, The Princess Bride