Self doubt is something we’ve all experienced at some point of our lives. It can be an overwhelming fear of failure that just seems to take control of us. Allowing ourselves to give in to our doubt keeps us from experiencing all that life has to offer. So why don’t we just stop? Because it’s not something that we feel we can control. We all fall into this. I fall into this.
As I type this article I have millions of questions running through my mind.
What am I writing?
Is anyone even going to read this?
Does it even make sense?
Even through my own personal self-doubts, I power though. I have no choice. If I don’t overcome, there’s no way for me to grow. I was given an opportunity to write for HBCU Pulse by my friend and peer Randall Barnes. I reached out to him on Twitter over the summer with the intentions of starting my own blog. I had no idea of where to start. He was forthcoming. He showed me what I needed to do and told me that I could reach out to him in my journey. He also told me about his plan for HBCU Pulse. I was one of the first to know. It inspired me.
When we got back on the yard at Fort Valley State University I immediately reached out to him. I knew this school year that I wanted my vision to be realized. I wanted to be a freelance journalist. Here right in front of me was someone that was doing it for himself professionally. He wrote with so much ease it confused me. Seeing his passion made me ready to start on my career. I had all the talent and potential. I just couldn’t do it. My self-doubt defeated me before I even started.
It takes a leap of faith to overcome your self doubt. You have to reach the point where you’re willing to risk failure en route to obtaining your desires. No one is going to be perfect at anything their first time doing it. Take the chance anyway. Allow yourself room to be imperfect. Allow yourself the room to learn and grow from your mistakes. Each failure teaches us a lesson that better prepares us for success.
Now I understand that by not taking chances you don’t allow yourself to grow. So I’m taking the first step towards my own personal growth writing this article. I’ll be honest, I still struggle with self doubt. It’s something that you can’t just get around. However, I’ve learned that it’s something that I have to put to the side to fulfill my life’s mission. I’m ready for all my life has to offer!
There’s no limit to your potential. You’re truly capable of more than you think. Your past failures don’t determine your future..You have to do what sets your soul on fire regardless of your personal doubts or what others may think.
