Turn Self-Doubt into Self Trust

I want to share with you what’s been on my heart the past few weeks, in hopes it will be relatable and valuable to you…

For the past week or two, I have been in a pretty deep state of doubt about being able to sustain a career as a life & leadership coach. The limiting voice in my head (I call her Brenda) has said, ‘You don’t have what it takes.’ or ‘It isn’t hard for other people.’ (Sound familiar at all?)

There is a beautiful Lightyear Leadership principal called The Line of Choice. And above the line of choice are all these beautiful emotions and responses to life that we actively CHOSE: love, trust, faith, commitment, forgiveness, etc. Below the line of choice are our REACTIONS - the emotions we experience when we aren’t in choice: worry, doubt, fear, judgment, unforgiveness. No one CHOOSES to be fearful or worried or anxious, but man, does it happen! And it’s our job as leaders (we are all leaders of our lives!) to be able to recognize when we are in reaction, and chose to shift into an emotion of choice. It’s NOT always easy! In fact, it’s rarely easy. But that active choice and shift allows us to regain control of our thoughts and, as we all know, our thoughts become our words, which become our actions.

As you head into the weekend and your weeks ahead, as you notice yourself in any (or many) of these states of reaction, be comforted in knowing that there is a choice-based antidote to each of them. I’ve created a visual graphic that may help:

For example, when you feel yourself worrying, you can choose commitment. Restate the commitment that is embedded in that concern. In my experience, what you are committed to is always GREATER than the thing you’re worried about. We don’t worry about things we don’t care about. So, identify what greater thing you are committed to and release a bit of that worry for now. And if you have questions about these other reactive & choice emotions, or would like support in shifting into whatever choice you need right now, reach out. I’d love to guide you into your state of choice.

For my recent (current) state of doubt, I’m choosing trust. Trusting in the universe & the timing, trusting the process, trusting that I know what is the correct move, trusting in my freaking abilities, and trusting my community.

And even though choosing trust and commitment doesn’t automatically fix things, I now feel clearer in my next step. I feel empowered to ask for what I need. I feel like I can create and gain momentum.

It’s a constant active practice, y’all! It ain’t easy. But this is the work that keeps us moving forward. This is the work that gets us unstuck. It’s the work that allows us to LEAD our lives, rather than letting life leading us.