There are some things only I can do.
Being me, for example.
Nobody else can be me.
Brilliant deduction, I know.
I spent some time — too much time, to be honest — doubting myself. (Yes, yes, I’ve admitted this before, so I won’t belabor it again.) Lesson learned: Spend too much time doubting yourself and you spend too little time being yourself.
When I finally looked into a mirror and liked who I saw, well, then I could begin to appreciate what I could do. Not in a prideful way that put others down. I could just look at myself and see possibilities. Potential.
Doubt is such a waste of time … a waste of personhood.
Do I still doubt myself sometimes? Oh sure.
But I doubt a choice I’ve made. A yes or a no. I don’t doubt my worth. And just because I can’t do something today doesn’t mean I won’t be able to do it tomorrow … or the next day.
In Your Words: What abilities do you have that make you … you? How have you learned to embrace who you are, moving from doubt to a sense of worth?
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Comments 28
Interesting, and excellent post!
I used to believe that there was a lot of my ability that made me…me.
And then came the past few years, and a series of professional and personal rejections left me absolutely stunned. My external worth had gone from “I’m okay” to zero faster than I could have believed.
Nothing went right. And honestly…very little is going right now.
Don’t mean nothin’.
Don’t mean nothin’ because I can still live in duty and compassion every day. It doesn’t matter if the world cares.
It doesn’t matter if God cares. (I’m sure He does, but lately it’s felt like my prayers have gone to voicemail.)
It only matters that I do it, and that is what raises me above the clay.
Author
Believing in who you are is the most difficult when all the external strappings of “who” disappear or disintegrate or are stolen.
And the times when God is silent … or when we can’t hear him because of static or interference or because we’ve turned our backs on him … oh, we lose sight of ourselves.
But one thing I do know (I’ve learned it the hard way): I may lose sight of myself in the dark days, but I am still me.
I may lose sight of God in the dark days, but he is still God. He is.
And living in compassion when very little is going right says quite a lot about what kind of man you are, Andrew.
Golly…thanks.
You know…your posts really, really enrich my life. They make me look forward to Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
There are times when I look at the mountain of a day, and say, “Why?”…and there’s Beth, giving me a reason.
And a hope.
Author
Thank you, Andrew.
And you are a valued friend too. Truly.
Love this today, Beth. It’s a great reminder to me. It took me years, many years, to see my worth in Christ. To realize he uniquely created me, flaws and all–and to him my flaws are beautiful. Do I still war with this some days? Sure. But now I can speak the Truth back to those thoughts. Great encouragement today!
Author
Susan,
It is so, so important to speak the Truth back to those lying thoughts that want to tell you who you aren’t.
And to realize that our flaws can be what makes us the most beautiful.
I love this post. I was uniquely created for my unique purpose! What’s there to doubt? Great perspective and great reminder!
Author
Sonia: Great summary!
Self-doubt has been my worst enemy. I like the idea of looking in the mirror and seeing possibilities … that idea offers a lot of hope.
Author
Kim: You and me, we need to keep sticking together! 😉
YES: “Spend too much time doubting yourself and you spend too little time being yourself.” Doubt is right up there with fear. Both take my eyes off of God to pick myself apart. Thank God that His grace is the glue that fills the holes I peck in myself.
Author
Love that sentence: His grace is the glue that fills the holes I peck in myself.
🙂
One talent that makes me me I recently discovered: the ability to catch typos. Yep, I’m a proofreader. I love proofreading books. Catching those runaway typos and grammatical errors (and getting a sneak peek at books before anyone else!) just makes my day that much brighter.
So glad you’re not doubting your worth anymore, Beth. You’re too special and wonderful to go to that dark place. 🙂
Author
You’ve just put a huge smile on my face, Andrea, with verbal hug.
And as a writer, I love, love, love proofreaders!!
Glad to pass along some cheer! One of these days, we’ll get an actual physical hug… and it will be sweet.
Author
YES!
I have a friend who has a blog called Anna Becoming. She reminds me that we all are “becoming” –conformed to His likeness. It’s so easy to doubt our worth…doubt is thrown at us daily. And so easy to say trust God or that He loves you. Sometimes we have to dig deep to embrace it. Great post, Beth.
Author
I can’t wait to read more of Anna Becoming. She sounds very wise.
I still struggle, for not as much with doubting my worth. Usually those doubts begin to tweeze at me when I’ve fallen short in some way. Or been hurt by words someone spoke. I struggle with the “less than” syndrome. Comparison is one of the biggest feeders of self-doubt. I am growing in the discipline of taking those “less than” thoughts to Jesus, asking Him to remind me what HE says about me. I’m His girl, and I know He loves LOVES me. I cling to that truth when doubt pricks at me.
I guess one of the things that makes me…me, is encouragement. God helps me to see ways to encourage others.
Author
You are an encourager, Jeanne.
And one thing I love about you most is how closely you abide with Jesus. Your heart beats in time with his.
Great points! Sometimes I think we/I use doubt as an excuse too. It can be easier to give up and say “I can’t do it.” Trying requires work… and putting ourselves out there. Being vulnerable.
Author
I’d never really thought about doubt as an excuse, but I do believe you’re right, Kathy. The whole “I can’t” or “What if I fail?” The risk of it all can hold us back from so many things.
Gulp, you’re right, no one else can do what I need to but me. At least I turned around my grandchildren’s ho hums this a.m. by telling them it was Abraham Lincoln’s b’day, giving them each a penny w/ his head, telling them other fun ways we used to celebrate, which means next Mon., Pres.’s Day w/ no school, we’re baking a cake w/ coins in for good luck (& fun), & they headed to school laughing. Except they pointed out Abe’s picture is also on $5 bills, Ben Franklin’s on $100 bills, and who is on $1000? (Don’t tell them). So I guess my element was humor and to try to make any task fun.
Next, seeing tax man, work ready, and then settling down to wrestle synopsis revision and write the things only I can.
Author
Oh, Dee — one thing you always do is make life fun!!!! And that’s one of the things I love about you!
This is so important, Beth. Exactly what I needed to read. Thank you.
Author
You are so, so welcome, Ganise. I needed the reminder too.
😉
“Spend too much time doubting yourself and you spend too little time being yourself.”
“Doubt is such a waste…of personhood.”
When Beth is being Beth, she says brilliant, concise, weighty and encouraging things like that. I always like when Beth is Beth 🙂
Author
And thank you for those words that encourage me in my endeavor to be me.
🙂