Lately, I’ve been reflecting on what exactly is self-assurance, self-belief, or self-doubt.
On the Clifton StrengthsFinder® assessment, my self-assurance is definitely not one of my dominant strengths (out of a 34 possible strengths, my self-assurance comes in at 21st…a long way down the list).
Every day I doubt myself. And I kind of wish I could stop because it drives me crazy.
On the other hand, do I think I am a highly capable person, that I can do things well? Yes.
Have I shown that I am capable of achieving things? Yes.
Have I demonstrated that I can write well? Yes.
Am I qualified? Yes.
Do I believe that I am worthy of good things? Yes.
Isn’t that confusing? Isn’t that self-assurance?
And yet doubt is a feature of my daily life. I often think, who am I to write a book? Who wants to read what I have to say? What if people don’t buy my book?
Then I remind myself to just put one foot in front of the other, to invite one more person to the launch, to follow up one more person, to take one more action that inches me closer to successfully launching my book (including creating this video about the find my niche book).
Am I the only writer to have doubted themselves? Definitely not! But knowing that doesn’t make it any easier!
A few weeks ago, I attended a breakfast seminar hosted by Dr Jason Fox and co-presented by Dr. Sean Fabri. They talked about the power of doubt. (Jason posted earlier about the hidden benefits of doubt)
I think this goes to show that ‘reframing’ how you think about things is possible with just about anything! Reframe doubt as a powerful tool that helps you anticipate potential problems - genius!
Since starting my own business, I have never thought about ‘reframing’ as much as I have now. Reframing is “to look at, present, or think of things in a new or different way”.
Reframing is at the very heart of a strengths-based approach. Seeing Empathy as a core strength, not an embarrassing and annoying problem, seeing Deliberative as a strength, not an inability to make a quick decision, seeing Relator (a desire to make fewer, deep connections) as a strength, not a lack of social skill.
A strengths-based approach is not deluding yourself. It’s changing the way you see yourself. It’s embracing yourself. And being proud of who you are.
So bring it on doubt! Let’s do this together!
The Find my niche book is now available for pre-order from my online shop, or through Amazon, Booktopia, and Barnes & Noble.. The image accompanying this blog post is one of the beautiful pages from the book.
If you're based in Melbourne, you're welcome to come along to the launch of the Find my niche book on Saturday 25th July at 3.30pm at the Footscray Community Arts Centre. Please find more details and RSVP here.
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