Author Note:
Rubina's Bojra will be on a break from 17th to 29th April 2023.
Regular posting will be back on 30th April 2023, Sunday.
Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will. – Suzy Kassem
You want to start a Tarot YouTube channel but think it's not worth it.
You want to start a calligraphy Instagram account but think people won't be interested in such content.
You want to start a Medium publication but then drop that thought because who will read what you want to say.
Negative self-talk like these directs us to one negative and self-sabotaging characteristic we all have - SELF-DOUBT.
We doubt if we are good enough or talented enough. We doubt if we will ever see success in our work. We doubt if we have something valuable to share. We doubt if people will like, accept and embrace what we have to give to the world.
I was in this place for a long time until August 2021. That is when I had enough of sitting around and took the leap to make my dream of becoming a writer come true.
One year and eight months later, I know and believe I am a writer. There's no doubt about it anymore.
I overcame my self-doubt about whether I have what it takes to be a writer in the first six months of my online writing. Five years until then, I had no proof to prove myself that I was a writer. But once I started putting in the work and publishing my words five days a week, I realised I could make it as a writer.
My five years of self-imposed misery was resolved in six months because I acted towards my dream.
I realised I made it not because I gained thousands of followers or started making money. But because working on my craft daily showed me that I am capable of it. I knew I had places to improve and knew I had what it takes to improve. All I had to do was experiment and put in the hard work.
In any field of life, personal or professional, there will be a time when you are a beginner. So it is natural to doubt yourself - because you haven't done it ever before. But if you take small actions, risks, trials, steps, you will slowly figure out how to work your way through what you are trying to do. And in doing so, you'll build your momentum and confidence. Over time, you'll know your craft/activity like the back of your hand.
As a woman starting her writing career during midlife, this was extremely helpful. Thank you!