The Epidemic of Self-Doubt and Breaking Ingrained Patterns
The Epidemic of Self-Doubt and Breaking Ingrained Patterns
Our challenges in life have the potential to be our greatest medicine and gifts to the world. We must be sharing our stories and experiences and having these conversations to heal. We must feel ourselves in relation to others to lift the shame and break the cycle. We must remember that we are not alone, not even for a moment and although others may not resonate with our version of the story, we all have our stories. We all hold variations of the stories and carry with us the pieces to the puzzle. Our stories are powerful and have formed the foundation of who we are. Sharing our stories is pure liberation and provides the opportunity to shed layers of shame and angst, heal, repair, embrace, and embody who we truly are.
I work with women and men who struggle with disordered eating, those unwinding from trauma and those who are searching for peace in themselves. The overarching theme that I continuously witness is a tremendous feeling of self-doubt.
Somewhere along the road of their lives they internalized the message that they are not worthy, not good enough, and have nothing to offer those that are blessed to cross their paths. These are highly successful professionals whom have had a tremendously positive impact on others, yet the feelings of self-doubt consistently reign and are being played out in their abilities to nourish and nurture themselves.
I get it wholeheartedly.
As I was gearing up to begin my physical descent down to Taos to work with 4 different women intensively over the course of 2 weekends, my old stories, programming, and messages about my abilities – my capacity to do this deep work, and my own personal biography in the realm of disordered eating and unwinding trauma, were screaming.
I was in self-doubt hell and it took every ounce of my connection to my true Self and my decades of practice to continue forward despite the cries otherwise.
What unfolded felt nothing short of miraculous as I pushed through my wall of self-doubt and landed embodied and upright in who I am. My experience affirmed my strong beliefs in the power of consistent, meditative practices which provide the the capacity to sift through what is truth and what is old messaging.
I am also reminded of the crucial nature of authenticity and being exactly who we are both personally and professionally.
I share this with you as a bridge – as an offering of a gateway towards our humanness – and, as validation that not only does everyone go through times of doubting the self, but that each of us truly have our own unique voice and story to share.
Please do not allow the voices of self-doubt to stifle who you are in the world. Your experiences in this lifetime are of equal value to those who may be making millions public speaking or those who have 10,000 Instagram followers.
You are important.
We are important.
Now, more than ever, the world needs the light from each of us – first honoring that light that lies within, our true Self – and then honoring the light in each other.
"Be kinder to yourself and then let your kindness flood the world".
~Pema Chodron