Letting go of doubt was one of the most challenging things for me to overcome.
It’s one thing to believe that things are happening for your good when everything seems to be working out. But it’s an entirely different experience when your circumstances appear to be showing you the opposite.
You want to believe. You know what you’ve been imagining for your life, and you want to remain faithful to it.
However, when things aren’t unfolding the way you expected, you can find yourself questioning everything.
I’ve been there.
I know how easily one doubtful thought can lead to another until you find yourself giving more attention to what isn’t happening than to what you’ve been believing.
And perhaps you’ve heard people tell you to stop doubting and just have faith. But when you’re in the middle of a challenging situation, you might wonder how exactly you’re supposed to do that.
Well, I eventually discovered something that made all the difference for me.
I had to stop giving my attention to what I didn’t want to see and start focusing on what I did.
That simple shift changed the way I experienced doubt.
When Your Circumstances Challenge What You Believe
I think one of the reasons doubt can be so difficult to overcome is that we naturally pay attention to what we can see.
When something isn’t working out, when a situation seems to be getting worse, or when something you’ve been hoping for hasn’t happened yet, it’s easy to let those experiences influence what you believe is possible.
You may have been feeling confident one moment, only to find yourself questioning everything the next.
It’s not always easy to remain focused on something you cannot yet see when what you can see appears to be telling you a completely different story.
However, I’ve come to realize that what I see around me doesn’t have to determine what I believe within. My circumstances and my beliefs don’t have to agree for me to remain faithful to what I know.
Just because something hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean I have to stop believing that it can.
Where You Choose to Place Your Attention Matters
Something I’ve discovered about doubt is that it becomes more consuming when I give it my attention.
Think about it.
When you begin questioning something, how easily can those thoughts turn into an entire conversation within your mind?
One thought leads to another.
You begin considering all the things that could go wrong. You revisit what hasn’t worked out, what hasn’t changed, and what you don’t yet have.
Before you know it, you’re spending more time imagining what you don’t want than giving attention to what you actually desire.
This is something I had to become aware of within myself.
I’ve come to realize that doubt often draws my attention away from what I know. It encourages me to look at everything that appears to contradict my beliefs rather than remain focused on the things I want to experience.
So, instead of continuing to entertain those thoughts, I began redirecting my attention.
Don’t Let Circumstances Change What You Believe
The most effective thing that has helped me overcome doubt is focusing on the things I want to see in my life.
Rather than allowing my present circumstances to dictate what I imagine for myself, I allow my imagination to remain with what I would like to experience, believing that it is already done.
I give my attention to the outcome I desire. I allow myself to see things working out, imagine the experiences I want to have, and feel comfortable with the possibility of everything coming together.
And you can do the same.
You can be experiencing something you don’t particularly enjoy while still allowing yourself to imagine a life you love. You can look at a situation that hasn’t changed and still believe that change is possible.
After all, why continue giving your attention to something you don’t want when you can give it to something you do?
I’ve learned that I don’t have to follow every thought that enters my mind. I can acknowledge a thought, recognize that it isn’t where I want my attention to remain, and return to what I choose to believe.
That is how I’ve learned to let go of doubt.
You Don’t Have to Feel Bad About Having Doubts
I also want you to understand that experiencing doubt doesn’t mean you’ve lost your faith.
You’re human.
You have thoughts, feelings, and moments when things can feel a little overwhelming.
There may be days when you feel completely confident in what you believe and other days when you find yourself questioning it.
Don’t make those moments another reason to be hard on yourself.
You don’t need to become frustrated because a doubtful thought crossed your mind. You don’t need to spend your time worrying about the fact that you’re worrying. That only gives the experience more of your attention.
Instead, allow yourself to experience the moment without allowing it to define what you believe.
You can feel uncertain and still choose to return to faith. You can acknowledge that something is difficult without deciding that it will always be that way.
There is a difference between experiencing a thought and choosing to remain with it. And that difference is worth becoming aware of.
So, when doubt arises, be gentle with yourself.
You don’t have to fight your thoughts. Simply remember that you have a choice about which ones you continue to entertain.
Return to What You Know
If there is one thing I hope you take away from this reflection, it is that you don’t have to give doubt so much of your attention.
I know how easy it is to become consumed by what you see, especially when things aren’t happening the way you expected. But you have the ability to redirect your attention.
You can choose what you want to entertain within your mind. You can decide what you would rather imagine. And you can allow what you believe to remain important, even when your circumstances haven’t caught up with what you envision.
So, if you’re struggling with doubt right now, be gentle with yourself.
It’s okay to have a moment when you question things. Just don’t allow that moment to become the place where you settle.
Return to what you know.
Think about what you would love to see. Allow your imagination to take you back to the possibilities you’ve been believing in.
You may not see the changes you anticipated just yet, but you don’t have to let that determine what you believe is possible.
Keep your faith. Keep your attention on what you want to see. And don’t give up on the things you’ve been imagining for your life.
You’ve got this.
