DESIGN THE NEXT YOU
How to Talk Back When Your Doubts Whisper Lies in Your Ear
If only it were that easy to say, “I can”.
“You can’t do this.”
Those were the constant, nagging words I told myself when I considered leaving my steady job of 15 years to pursue a new career. The doubts didn’t just whisper, oh no…they screamed at me and nearly convinced me they were right.
“You’ll fail! Who do you think you are, trying to make a career move when you’re almost 40? It will never work.” — My Brain
It didn’t matter how many people believed in me, my fears felt like foregone conclusions. When I finally mustered the courage to give my two-week notice, I cried in my car for an hour before talking to my manager. I was certain I would fail at my next thing.
Doubts know exactly where to hit us where it hurts the most, don’t they? When our doubts whisper in our ears, they feel like targeted missiles of self-sabotage, tailored to our most vulnerable parts.
Why does this happen?
Well, I can tell you this. It’s not because you’re inherently flawed or weak. It’s not because there’s something wrong with you. No, this tendency to doubt ourselves is deeply rooted in biology and psychology.
