By Julie Parker, Julie Parker Practice Success

I am sure you have imagined how your life would play out if you lived without any self-doubt. Or, maybe you are afraid to see what that life would look like, as Marieanne Williamson says,

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us…”

Realising our own potential comes with the responsibility to step in to it. If we don’t, are we wasting this gift of a life?

What stops many of us from stepping up for ourselves is self-doubt. This self-doubt displays itself through our internal dialogue:

“Are you sure you are good enough? I don’t think so..”

“What makes you think you can achieve that?”

“You’ll probably fall flat on your face…I would play it safe and not put yourself out there.”

This self-doubt all happens in our head. There is no proof or evidence for any of these limiting thoughts. Yet we still struggle with them.

I have just finished viewing a recent blog post by Marie Forleo, a dynamic life coach and motivational speaker. She speaks on our self-doubting thoughts, and how we can change their impact on our lives. Marie’s advice is see your ATTENTION – that is your mental, emotional and spiritual energy – as a flashlight. This flashlight can only shine in one direction. It is either focusing inward on to yourself and all of your limiting self-talk, or it is focusing outward, on your clients and the work that you are doing.

“Your attention’s like a flashlight. Shine it out on others, and you lose sight of your own fear.” Marie Forleo

When you are focusing inward on your fears and apprehensions, you are not performing at your best. Rather than seeing the positive impact you can have on surroundings, you are instead fulfilling the negative thoughts by giving them a voice, and therefore power.

So step up for yourself by directing your flashlight outward. That’s where all the action is.