How To Turn your negative thoughts and insecurities into greatest strengths

We all have those moments when we wonder whether or not we are going to make it, are we on the right track, have we done the right thing? This is essentially human and could be turned into a force for good if we harness it correctly. We are talking about self-doubt.

Sooner or later we are all going to be confronted with some degree of self-doubt over a stance we have taken, something we said, or actions we have put in motion. Was it the right thing to do? Doubting yourself can be self-destructive. The worst enemy of getting ahead in life is self-doubt. It will hold you back and make you lose good opportunities that you should otherwise have embraced. It can also adversely affect your ability to build rewarding social relationships.

Anyone who claims they don’t experience moments of self-doubt is surely fooling themselves. Some people have very confident personalities and may not often concede that they have concerns about themselves. On the other hand, people who are timid and lack self-confidence may doubt themselves a lot more often.

So, in part, the degree of self-doubt you experience in your life can be a personality trait. Alternatively, it may be a result of your environment. If people are constantly put down and belittled, either by an overbearing partner or perhaps at work, they may begin to doubt themselves and their validity, more and more.

Ask yourself why? Once you understand where your self-doubt comes from and why it affects you the way it does, you are already on the path to overcoming this state of mind. So, go ahead, ask those searching questions, dig deep and gain a better understanding of why you are letting self-doubt affect your mental wellbeing and diminish your self-image.

Next, you need to actively develop a positive response and set up steps to overcome your lack of self-assurance and your insecurities.

Stop comparing yourself to others, celebrate the fact that you’re different.

Overcome your fear of failure

Start to believe in yourself

Rely on your own innate wisdom and your instincts to guide you

Don’t dwell on mistakes of the past, just learn from them and move on

Don’t fear the risk of failure, instead, fear the absence of progress

If you are feeling negative, tell yourself to get over it and move on

Don’t worry that people might judge your performance harshly, just do your best and be proud of yourself

Write down a Pros and Cons list when conflicting over a good opportunity that has come your way. If you go for the opportunity, what is the worst that could happen? What is the best that could happen? Rein in your self-doubt by logically exploring the best and worst scenarios to discover that in fact, often there is more in the gains column than there is in the loss column.

Confide in a friend or someone you love. Tell them your doubts and fears and get some dispassionate feedback. Talking about it and gaining new insight from someone else’s perspective can be invaluable.

Turn your negative thoughts and insecurities into something positive. Go to seminars and workshops on how to harness positive thoughts and optimism to power you forward into a more successful life. Learn how to dispel negativity and focus on the positive.

Use failures and setbacks as lessons to guide you on how to avoid the same mistakes. This is how we all gain experience and become more successful in the future.

When you have achieved a milestone that you wanted, make sure you celebrate your success. This will boost your motivation to grasp other challenges and it will improve your confidence.

When you have learned to embrace your own strengths and good qualities your insecurities and self-doubt are able to fade into the background.

None of us are perfect, so you are not alone. When you start to recognize your better qualities and learn to love yourself despite a few imperfections, you are on the path to a more positive and more fulfilling life.